{"id":11642,"date":"2011-12-18T20:12:45","date_gmt":"2011-12-18T20:12:45","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2011-12-18T20:12:45","modified_gmt":"2011-12-18T20:12:45","slug":"China-expresses-condolences-on-Kim-Jong-Il","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=11642","title":{"rendered":"China expresses condolences on Kim Jong-Il"},"content":{"rendered":"

China offered its “deep condolences” on the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, which analysts said will spur Beijing to boost ties with Pyongyang to prevent instability.<\/strong><\/p>\n

China is a neighbor and close ally of the isolated Stalinist state, whose official media announced on Monday that its leader had died of a heart attack at the age of 69 and that his youngest son, Kim Jong-Un, would succeed him.<\/p>\n

Analysts said Kim’s death would be a source of concern to stability-obsessed leaders in Beijing who would be anxious that Kim Jong-Un has not had enough time to secure control over the country’s government and military.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“I think China will be very concerned because they were very keen to see a smooth succession between Kim Jong-Il and Kim Jong-Un,” said Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, a Beijing-based analyst for the International Crisis Group.<\/p>\n

“The idea was Kim Jong-Il would be around for another couple of years and would be able to fully put into place the mechanisms necessary for a transition of power.”<\/p>\n

Chinese leaders will be keen to avoid a power struggle in Pyongyang which could destabilise the impoverished country at a time when many of its 24 million people are starving, analysts said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

UN agencies have said that some six million people in the country urgently need food but a $73 million appeal for North Korea has only been 34 percent funded this year.<\/p>\n

More than 21,700 North Koreans have fled their impoverished homeland since the 1950-1953 Korean War, the vast majority in recent years as the food shortage worsened.<\/p>\n

They typically escape on foot to neighboring China before travelling to a third country. Beijing is worried that if the North Korea regime were to collapse the country could be flooded with refugees.<\/p>\n

The last reported visit by Kim Jong-Il to China was in August, when he told Beijing he was ready to resume six-party nuclear talks without preconditions, as he travelled through the Asian country.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But analysts said Kim’s sudden death on Monday has dashed hopes of talks resuming any time soon.<\/p>\n

Source AFP<\/em>
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