China, a life-long communist ally of North Korea, protested at the killing of 3 Chinese smugglers by North Korean guards. They were said to be smuggling copper wire from North Korea. This event could not have come at a more inappropriate period, since it was not too long ago that North Korea attacked and sank a South Korean ship, killing 46 sailors. Could this foreshadow more friction to come between Chinese-North Korean relations?
From Los Angeles Times:
China makes rare public protest against North Korea over killing of 3
By Barbara Demick, Los Angeles TimesJune 9, 2010
China formally protested on Tuesday that three of its citizens were killed and a fourth wounded by North Korean border guards who opened fire last week in an apparent attempt to crack down on smuggling.The Chinese were from the border city of Dandong, site of the Friendship Bridge, across the Yalu River, commemorating China’s support for the North during the Korean War. According to reports in the South Korean media, the Chinese were suspected of smuggling copper wire out of the North Korean city of Sinuiju, which is on the other side of the bridge. The reports said they were on a boat on the river when they were shot Friday.
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Tensions remain high in the region over the sinking of the South Korean ship. The Global Times, an English-language newspaper with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party, on Tuesday complained about joint U.S.-South Korean naval exercises planned for the Yellow Sea, where the Cheonan went down. Some reports said the George Washington, a U.S. aircraft carrier, would participate, although the Pentagon said a decision had not been made.
“Though intended to send a threatening message to North Korea, having a U.S. aircraft carrier participating in joint military drills off of China’s coast would certainly be a provocative action toward China,” the newspaper editorialized.
