this is the Wong Song 18 North Korea's newest solid fuel nuclear missile on July 12th 2023 this new intercontinental ballistic missile I CBM was test launched somewhere Northeast of Pyongyang eventually crashing some 150 Mi West test of Northern Japan's okushiri Island the US South Korea and Japan swiftly condemned the test prompting the UN Security Council to call an urgent meeting to discuss the launch similarly swiftly China shifted the blame onto the US presence in the peninsula singling out the us as the main destabilizing factor in the region but why does China do that why does
it protect North Korea's provocations against some of its most important trade Partners like South Korea the US and Japan why does it further raise the stakes on its already strained relationship with the us over a territory that it does not even consider its own like with Taiwan the reality is that when it comes to security China heavily relies on Korea more so than any other territory including Taiwan and this perspective is crucial in understanding China's viewpoint on the peninsula when China assesses its security interests it does so from Beijing and its surroundings where the majority
of Chinese and the country's political and Military Elites reside approximately 57% of the Chinese population lives within a 750m radius of Beijing in simple words it is China's main center of gravity this geographical perspective is key in comprehending China's stance on the peninsula when China looks at Taiwan it recognizes its Paramount political significance however from a security standpoint apart from its role in preventing Chinese access to the Open Seas China sees Taiwan as a distant Province without any current US military Presence at least for now on the other hand when China looks at Korea it
sees a neighboring potential adversary that has been the Battleground for two Wars against China in the past last century and currently hosts nuclear missiles and American troops due to these factors beijing's strategic planners are cautious about two main security aspects concerning Korea firstly they consider Korea's strategic role in any potential land Invasion against China secondly they acknowledg the peninsula's position as the hidden initial Link in the island chain due to its geographical location the Korean peninsula Ula serves as a crucial gatekeeper for Chinese military strategists safeguarding Beijing and the northeastern region of the country since
the signing of the 1949 Treaty of mutual defense assistance North Korea has acted as a guard between the United States and the peninsula from China's perspective the presence of US military forces in this Korean Peninsula poses a significant obstacle to securing its borders the United States maintains six major military bases in the region deploying approximately L 26,000 troops moreover Advanced weapon systems such as nuclear ballistic submarines strategic bombers and Advanced Air Defense systems not only cover North Korea but also pose a threat to Chinese military capabilities North Korea's proximity to Soul which lies within artillery
range of the Border gives it a credible deterrence capability against the United States the addition of pyongyang's nuclear Arsenal further complicates any potential military op operations demanding a significant allocation of resources and it's not just a matter of good old school military deterrence given the Korean peninsula's geopolitical situation South Korea is essentially an island any help to the country must come in from the air or from the sea for this reason North Korea has recently intensified its cyber attacks to undermine the country's infrastructure from hospitals to power plants the North Koreans are capable of hacking
the South's grid connected infrastructure this is also part of North Korea's border deterrent strategy North Korean hackers have demonstrated extensive capabilities in not only finding vulnerability in South Korean firewalls but also breaching us cyber defenses recent reports indicate that almost half of North Korea's foreign reserves are derived from online and cryptocurrency fraud often associated with identity theft and online information gathering acquiring personal information online particularly in the US has become alarmingly simple specialized websites sell such data ranging from names and addresses to more sensitive details like criminal records health history and even Social Security numbers
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sincere thanks to incog for sponsoring this video from China's perspective the Korean Peninsula presents a more immediate security threat compared to Taiwan due to its direct land border the proximity between Taiwan and Beijing spans approximately 1,000 miles while the distance from Beijing Pyongyang is a mere 500 miles in fact the military basees surrounding pongyang which house a portion of North Korea's nuclear Arsenal stand as the closest foreign military installations to Beijing yet it is not just the geographical proximity that makes the Korean Peninsula strategically vital when Chinese planners examine their border with North Korea they
Identify two crucial factors the first and most prominent is the Chang Beek mountain range also known as changbai in Chinese which stretches almost the entire length of the Border this mountain range is home to the sacred Mount piku the tallest peak in the Korean Peninsula standing at a height of 2,700 M these mountains act as a natural barrier against land invasions creating a physical divide between China's Northeast which corresponds to the core of former Manchuria and North Korea the second significant feature is the narrow strip of flat land that extends from the plain south of
Seoul all the way to one of the most densely populated places on Earth the North China plane these Flatlands connect Korea with China's Heartland and are thus the main Invasion route towards China's demographic military and political center of gravity historically these low-lying lands measuring on average under 400 m above sea level have served as Invasion routes with a notable example being the Japanese invasion of Manchuria this expansive area is as large as turkey and is home to over 5 500 million people the three provinces closer to the Border itself particularly China's Northeast have been invaded
frequently in the past with the Japanese and Soviets being the most recent Invaders this region which is equivalent in population to California Texas and Florida combined hold strategic importance for three main reasons firstly this region is home to China's own Rust Belt housing the majority of heavy industry manufact uring plants for example Shenyang produces Chinese Air Force jets such as the j11 its carrier version j15 and the underdevelopment fifth generation fighter fc31 secondly the northeastern region serves as China's Greenery due to its fertile Black Earth belts and the highest amount of fertile land per capita
in the country despite occupying only 11% of China's total size it contributes to to 1/3 of the country's total Crop Production lastly China's Northeast is a major oil and coal production region the daing oil field played a crucial role in establishing this region as China's heavy industry Hub during the Great Leap Forward and was the country's largest oil field until 2021 producing 600,000 barrels per day currently China's primary oil field is the offsh or Boh High Seafield with a significant portion of its production occurring in the Northeast the second main role that the Korean Peninsula
plays for China's security is its role of a Lynch pin with China's first island chain strategy while the concept of the island chain strategy is widely recognized it is important to note that China has a different interpretation of it in the west the first island chain is usually set to begin again in Japan as shown in this US Department of Defense map however Chinese official Maps reveal two notable differences compared to the US versions firstly the island chain starts at the southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula this perspective is not solely a matter of cartography
it also reflects China's historical Viewpoint regarding the Pacific coast of mansuria which was part of the Ching Empire until the Treaty of Igan in 1858 secondly Beyond geographical boundaries the chain extends Southward through Japan and ultimately establishes a strategic link over the Korean Peninsula this holds immense importance in understanding China's geostrategic interest in the Korean Peninsula if we consider the start of the link from a contemporary Chinese border perspective the first island chain does not begin in katco Japan it begins in Korea [Music] if we look at the map and consider Korea as an island
given its political and geographical situation Korea is effectively the first foothold of the island chain within the context of the island chain strategy the Korean Peninsula surpasses Taiwan in significance to beijing's security calculations especially for its role in closing the Yellow Sea the Yellow Sea nestled between China's North eastern coast and the Korean Peninsula emerges as a strategically significant theater with immense military importance China's Reliance on the Yellow Sea sea Lanes of communication revolves around three primary pillars firstly the Yellow Sea provides exclusive access to the bohai Sea a crucial body of water indispensable for
the resupply and defense of Beijing securing this Maritime route stands as a foundational element of China's military strategy secondly the Yellow Sea also plays a central role in bolstering China's energy and resource security this is highlighted by its status as one of the top regions for oil and liquefied natural gas ports in terms of tonnage the presence of these vital resources is essential for China's economic and Military sustainability with three of the five top oil and LNG ports in China located directly in the Yellow Sea lastly in addition to serving as a vital economic Corridor
the Yellow Sea offers a channel for the Strategic mobility of China's military Assets in times of conflict or Regional tension the ability to swiftly relocate military units and supplies from the south to the north and vice versa holds Paramount importance this strategic flexibility enhances China's military capabilities and Readiness however the geostrategic importance of the Yellow Sea also presents a series of of Naval challenges firstly the Yellow Sea is very shallow with an average depth of just 144 ft this poses significant difficulties for Naval operations and maneuverability particularly in the context of submarine warfare and intelligence
gathering Additionally the shallow nature of the sea increases the vulnerability of seafloor pipelines and internet cables making them more susceptible to disruption secondly the presence of major commercial ports in the Yellow Sea such as inin Ching da and tianin results in high traffic in these seaways this creates a significant amount of noise making it challenging to distinguish between warships and Commercial vessels the problem is commercial vessels share this body of water with major navies including those of North Korea South Korea Japan and the United States notably North Korea boasts one of the world's largest fleets
of submarines and estimated in the 60 to 90 ballpark while South Korea possesses Advanced military capabilities with Advanced German conventional type currently in use furthermore the presence of US Naval assets including frequent Port calls by nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers adds another layer of complexity to the regional Dynamic and especially for China's slock Security in such a confined Naval space a wide variety of navies and interests overlap making it a potential flash point for conflicts in the region that can potentially involve China's SLO security one major hotspot in the Yellow Sea is the northern line
limit which experienced a significant escalation in 2010 When the Northern Korean torpedo attack sank the Rocks chonan resulting in a tragic loss of 46 seamen lives any conflict in the Yellow Sea directly impacts Chinese interests making it a focal point for all the actors involved in the region in conclusion the Korean Peninsula occupies a central role in China's security and geostrategic calculations surpassing the significance of Taiwan from China's unique perspective gaining insight into these multifaceted factors is crucial for decoding China's actions and strategies within the region if you like this video be sure to also
check out a general overview of the Korean Peninsula geopolitics video where we Tred to understand the General Dynamics and interests at play in the peninsula thanks again to incog the team and the community and thank you for watching and your support [Music] ciao
