Change in East Asia- NK leadership says, "Forget China."

by fulltimestudent 5 Replies latest social current

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  fulltimestudent

  In early June, I noted a report in NEWFOCUSINTL ( a NK watcher news sheet, probably US or SK financed) that the Central Committee of the Korean Workers had issued an internal decree stating, ‘Abandon the Chinese dream!’ The statement was apparently isued revealed to higher ranking party cadres.

  What did it mean? I knew there seemed to be internal debate in NK over China's encouragement to move to a market based economy and that were some signs in NK of that happening. Then came the sudden execution of KJU's Uncle - Jang Song-thaek. (Dragged out of a meeting and shot). And that Jang had been seen as favouring the Chinese system.

  So where/who would NK now look for support? Its probably no surprise that Russia is said to be one probablity.
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  fulltimestudent

  Here's the NEWFOCUS report:

  Web-link: http://newfocusintl.com/exclusive-north-korea-decrees-abandon-chinese-dream/

  Exclusive: North Korea decrees, ‘Abandon the Chinese dream!’

  JUNE 2, 2014 BY NEWFOCUSINTL

  The Central Party Committee of the Korean Workers’ Party has issued an internal decree stating, ‘Abandon the Chinese dream!’ The statement was revealed to cadres ranked departmental director and above in the central institutions, who correspond to the rank of officials monitored directly by the Party’s Organisation and Guidance Department (OGD).

  The statement was issued during internal party lectures in late April, according to our sources. The lecture materials stated that ‘Xi Jinping is a figure who regards the suffering of the Cultural Revolution as resulting from the repressive nature of the Chinese Communist Party’, and went on to say that ‘China is a bad neighbour that slanders even our nuclear self-defence capabilities, by taking sides with the US’.

  The lecture materials continued, ‘In the past, the Chinese Communist Party was in revolutionary fellowship, by sharing in the anti-Japanese resistance traditions of the great marshals Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. But today’s Chinese Communist Party is a Xi Jinping style party of selfishness, pursuing reforms and opening, and therefore choosing to put money before ideology.’

  The materials continued, ‘The Chinese Communist Party, which is enjoying being in bed with the imperialists and dreaming dreams with them, is even openly critical of our nuclear self-defence capabilities,’ and went onto stress, ‘If only to persevere in our revolutionary principle of Juche (Self-Reliance), we must amplify the foundations of an independent economy.’

  In the wake of these lectures, the KWP Central Party Committee issued an edict ordering state sanctioned trading companies to decrease trade with China and expand trade with Russia.

  Similar edicts, issued by Kim Jong-il in 2000 and 2002 to decrease North Korea’s economic dependence on China, resulted in failures of implementation. Perhaps for this reason, the recent CPC edict comes with a warning of follow-up surveillance measures; and there is growing concern among North Korean officials working in trading companies.

  The recent edict requires for the implementation of strict import controls that call for everyday goods to be imported from Russia or European nations, rather than from China.

  In addition, there have been orders stating that business deals conducted in Chinese yuan must be more strictly monitored than those in US dollars.
 
Koryo Air flights between Pyongyang and Moscow are to be increased in frequency; there is said to have been agreement on this already from the Russian side.

  The recent measures that encourage a reduced dependence on China suggest that there is increasing tension and antagonism between DPRK and China. Such tension existed under Kim Jong-il, but only became more widely known in the aftermath of Jang Song-thaek’s purge and execution.

  Pro-Russian leanings among the North Korean leadership have become more concrete since thereturn to Pyongyang of Ri Yong-nam, who was Party Secretary at the DPRK embassy in Moscow, and is the eldest son of deceased OGD First Deputy Director Ri Je-gang.
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  fulltimestudent

  Had China really done something 'evil' in the sight of NK? In the last few days it became clear that China had apparently made a decision that certainly would've upset the NK leadership.
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  skeeter1

  Thanks for posting this.
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  metatron

  http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/korea/articles/20140704.aspx

  NK leadership has been warned by China. Appealing to Russia is shortsighted.

  I believe a Chinese triggered coup would help world peace and the NK people.

  metatron
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  fulltimestudent

  Thnx for that reference, Metatron.

  I doubt that the Chinese government has ever contemplated a "coup," even considering the accusations of the KWP against Uncle Song. The possibilities of a coup succeeding have too many "ifs".

  I suggest, that based on their own experience during the turbulent years of Mao's attempt to hang on to power (i.e. the Cultural Revolution), the leadership of China understands, only too well, that things could get even worse in NK.

  Moreover, they have a much clearer idea of how things work in NK, than likely even the South Koreans. Westerners often seem to forget that there is a third Korea**, not to mention that outside of the Chinese ethnic Korean areas, China has an extensive border with NK, and many cross border exchanges and contacts.

  American policies seem dominated by the idea that government must be seen to be "doing something." Hence I also suggest that the Chinese examination of the failure of similar policies by the USA, whose (successful or failed) coups and invasions have generally made the situation worse and have condemned vast populations of ordinary people to even more misery, would influence the Chinese government against such attempts.

  Chinese thinking is likely to always consider this idea:

  

  it translates as wu wei, "not doing," or "non-action."

  Or, maybe we need to say it as (for the benefit of those with a western education), " action that does not involve struggle or excessive effort."

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  ** Yanbian ( 延边 , South Korean transliteration: 옌볜 , Chinese Korean: 연변 ) is a Korean Autonomous Prefecture in southeastern Jilin Province, People's Republic of China, just north of the border with North Korea. Yanbian is bordered to the north by Heilongjiang, on the west by Baishan City and Jilin City, on the south by North Hamgyong Province of North Korea, and on the east by Primorsky Krai of Russia. Yanbian is designated as an autonomous prefecture due to the large number ofethnic Koreans living in the region. The prefectural capital is Yanji, and the total area is 42,700 square kilometres (16,500 sq mi).

  

  In the Yanbian area, as in this photo taken in the Chinese city of Yanji, signs are often in both Chinese

  and Korean. The people here will be bi-lingual, of Korean ethnicity but with Chinese citizenship.