From Reuters:
A huge flow of refugees, a stronger U.S. presence in the region and economic pressures that could impact the stability of its government — those are the worst fears for China in the event its neighbor, North Korea, collapsed.
The conclusion China has come to as it weighs its response to North Korea’s announcement last week that it conducted a nuclear test is that while nuclear is bad, collapse is worse.
“China will have to compromise in terms of tolerating a nuclear power on its doorstep — its primary aim is to retain regime stability in North Korea,” said Alexander Neill, head of the Asia Programme at Britain’s Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies. [Full Text]
(Photo of North Korean farmers)
Read CDT’s recent post of “U.N. Security Council Sets Vote For North Korea Sanctions” from AP.
Related article of “China Buys The Soft Sell” from The Washington Post
