More than 100 Chinese soldiers have been practicing constructing pontoon bridges on the Yalu River this week, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. Military analysts say that the bridges are likely to be used to transport Chinese troops to the North Korean bank of the river to set up a perimeter and stop refugees and defectors crossing into China.
The bridges have been reported at several locations along the Yalu, with troops repeatedly connecting and disconnecting sections of the floating bridges and manoeuvering them into position.
You know, when fighting conventional enemies, it really is often better to hold a line forward of a river rather than behind the river. If you hold forward of the river, an enemy breakthrough immediately is slowed by the river giving your own forces time to counter-attack.
As long as the enemy doesn't have fire superiority to take down all your bridges, you are better able to withstand the enemy. Of course, if your forces are really weak you may have no choice but to defend behind the river, but if you can, holding the other side is good. It also allows you to attack more easily if that is possible.
But when it comes to refugees, I don't think that any military really needs to hold from bridgeheads on the southern bank of the Yalu. Refugees are civilians with no river crossing abilities or fire support. Holding behind a river line with proper overhead surveilance is a far better option, unless I am grossly mistaken.
Mind you, I can see that there would be some benefits under international law by keeping any refugees out of China where China would then be obligated under international law to host refugees. But would China really care that much about international law if refugees flood into China?
It is far more likely that China would use those bridges to invade North Korea. They'd to this either to support a pro-China faction in Pyongyang or to prevent South Korean and American forces from reaching the Chinese border if the North Korean state simply collapses.
North Korea does seem to be preparing for something. Is it near or is it far?
And we are preparing to exercise in the region.
Personally, I'd think of a partition plan for North Korea. Vice President Biden should get on this.
