China Fences Border
It was confirmed on August 11 that China has been building wires along its border with North Korea, around the source of the Duman River near Mt. Baekdu.
Speculations are that the wires are meant to prevent defection of North Koreans to China, or that they are aimed at drawing a clear Sino-Korea borderline in an apparent attempt to incorporate an ancient Korean kingdom into a Chinese historical timeline.
The border between North Korea and China has so far been marked with 21 boundary stones from Mt. Baekdu to the source of the Duman River.
The Chinese government was alleged to have kept fencing since the end of 2004 to prevent North Korean residents from defecting to China, but this is the first confirmation that the wires are actually in place near the mountain and the upper Duman River.
The wires are a series of 1.5 to 1.7 meters high and two to three meters wide T-shaped concrete pillars, similar to those along the Military Demarcation Line on the Korean peninsular.
Beijing reportedly claimed that the fence is there to stop North Korean defection. One Chinese source said that the Chinese government has set up wires near Mt. Baekdu around the Duman this summer and that it plans to extend them to Samhap and Yenbien where many North Korean defectors stay.
The saddest part is if anyone is outraged, it will be because of redrawing the borders, not stopping refugees.
