China 'to build refugee camps on its border with North Korea’, amid fears of nuclear conflict
China is planning to build refugee camps on its border with North Korea in what is being seen as an indication that Beijing is preparing for a potential conflict.
Five locations in China’s north-eastern Jilin province have been identified as potential sites for refugees.
The sites were listed in a document that was apparently leaked from China’s biggest telecommunications company, China Mobile, and then posted on social media.
The document, which was first reported in English by the Financial Times, has since been deleted from the Chinese Internet, but an unverified copy has been re-published by news websites outside mainland China.
It said a local government in Jilin was planning to set up five refugee camps “because the situation on the China-North Korea border has intensified.”
China Mobile was apparently tasked by the government to ensure that Internet would be available at the locations.
Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst, said that China would almost certainly set up "quarantine areas" on its north-eastern frontier that would be used in the event of war.
China’ fears the influx of refugees as Beijing’s Communist Party rulers are obsessed with maintaining social stability.
A newspaper in Jilin last week published a page of “common sense” tips on how people can protect themselves from a nuclear weapons attack or explosion.
The report did not mention the threat of attack from North Korea or any other country, but explained how people should react to protect themselves from a nuclear incident.
Tensions have been escalating sharply on the Korean peninsula, with Pyongyang firing its most advanced intercontinental missile almost two weeks ago.
China and Russia began joint “air defence drills” on Monday, military officials announced, as the United States and its Asian allies launched their own war games.
Chinese Senior General Wu Qian said the joint manoeuvres in Beijing were conducted to help “secure a strategic balance of forces”.
The drills began on the same day that the US, Japan and South Korea began conducting “joint missile tracking” manoeuvres.
General Wu said the China-Russia drills, which were announced last month, were being carried out to “jointly train for anti-missile combat planning and preparation, launch command and firing coordination.”
China's influential Global Times newspaper described the staging of the two sets of drills as “a coincidence that has raised fears of possible clashes amid the strained situation on the Korean Peninsula.”
China and Russia have both voiced concern over the deployment of the US’ Thaad missiles in South Korea.
The missile system has supposedly been deployed to help defend the South from a strike from Pyongyang.
However military chiefs in Moscow and Beijing believe its powerful radar can monitor their own nuclear capabilities, and can therefore alter the strategic balance in the region.
Additional reporting by Christine Wei
