World War III? China May Strike at North Korea If Dragged Into Conflict
An English tabloid produced by the government of China warned that Beijing will be compelled to launch a military strike against North Korea and its nuclear facilities if the Chinese people and its territory are affected by the isolationist regime's belligerent actions.
In a harshly-worded editorial, the military-focused Global Times, run by the Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper, said the nuclear activities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) must not jeopardize northeastern China, otherwise, Beijing will strike back with military force.
The publication expressed concern that Pyongyang's illicit nuclear tests might impact China either through "nuclear leakage or pollution" particularly in the northeastern provinces of Liaoning and Jilin that share borders with North Korea. These two provinces and Heilongjiang are part of the Shenyang Military Region, one of seven military regions for the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
The piece described this situation as the "bottom line" for China which must never be crossed.
"China has a bottom line that it will protect at all costs, that is, the security and stability of northeast China," the editorial read. "If the bottom line is touched, China will employ all means available including the military means to strike back."
The author noted that the world knows where North Korea's nuclear facilities are located. If Chinese territory and people are affected by nuclear fallout, PLA will attack those facilities on its own even without the United States' go-signal. Should that happen, it believes Pyongyang will permanently suspend its nuclear weapons programs.
Once "nuclear facilities are destroyed, they will not even fight back but probably block the news to fool its domestic people."
The editorial further noted that "nuclear weapons are DPRK's trump card for its defiance of China and the United States. Once this card is lost, it will become obedient immediately."
