China Holds Artillery Drills Along Korean Border

Military Also Ups Patrols Along North Korean Border

After weeks of simply sitting on the sidelines while the US and North Korean militaries grandstand, and occasionally expressing annoyance, China looks to be getting in on the act with a round of military drills of their own.

The unannounced drills, in the form of a live-fire exercise with SPGs and tanks, took place along the North Korean border, and sources say China has also upped its military patrols along the border.

China added troops along the Korean frontier just in case when the tensions first broke out, but seems to be of the opinion, echoed by everyone who is not an official from the US or either Korean government, that a war is not going to actually happen.

Rather, Chinese officials have from the start been warning both sides to soften their rhetoric. The primary motivation of China seems to be calming the situation, since tensions are causing financial uncertainty in the region and an actual war, while unlikely, would inundate their border region with refugees.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.