Wednesday, 24 April 2013

China’s military is continuing to mobilize military forces along the North Korean border despite official denials as Pyongyang appears set for a missile test launch this week, according to U.S. officials.

U.S. intelligence agencies continued to collect reports of Chinese military movements in border provinces that have been underway since last month.

Meanwhile, China reported Tuesday that North Korea may be preparing to conduct a fourth underground nuclear test.

Reports indicate the People’s Liberation Army is on a very heightened alert status, amid mounting tensions between North Korea and the United States and South Korea.

Several reports were derived from Chinese microblogging sites that in the past have provided reliable information on Chinese military activities.

One April 17 photo showed scores of soldiers marching on a street in the city of Shenyang on the way to Dandong, a major border city on the Yalu River dividing the two countries.

Another posting stated military vehicles carrying tanks were spotted heading to Liaoyang, in Liaoning province, also near the border. The movements were reported by a user who said he was in a logistic unit of a PLA unit in Siping, Jilin province, and added that the troops would be deployed to the border “soon.”

However, officials said one of the most concerning reports was an April 14 report by a Chinese Internet user who quoted a friend in the Chinese military who was in a unit deployed along the Chinese-North Korean border who said troops for several days had been placed on “Level 1 alert status” the military’s highest readiness level.

Other reports last month said various PLA units in the region had been ordered to increase “war preparedness” to Level 2 and be ready to go to Level 1. The PLA uses a four-level alert status with Level 1 signaling preparation for conflict.

The latest reported force movements were not limited to ground troops.

Officials said formations of fighter jets were reported in Tonghua, located about 62 miles from the North Korean border in Jilin province on April 14.

Three days later Chinese Su-27 jet were reported as making daily sorties about 150 miles from the North Korean border in Anshan, in Liaoning province.

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/23197/53/

Categories: Escalation / Destabilization Conflict