2012-06-19 — Around the mid-June, the Chinese military conducts a river-crossing maneuver on the Yalu River bordering North Korea on Tuesday, using small boats and a floating bridge.
The drill renews speculation that the Chinese military is preparing to defend against any influx of North Korean refugees following a possible regime collapse in Pyongyang.
Uniformed soldiers wearing orange life vests can be seen building and rebuilding about a dozen pontoon bridges at various points along the Yalu River, which separates China and North Korea.
Each bridge stretched 20 to 30 meters (66 to 98 feet) in six or seven sections. The section of the river that separates the Chinese city of Dandong and the North Korean city of Sinuiju is only 400 to 500 meters wide.
Chinese troops have been observed doing similar exercises in the past, with Japanese media outlets reporting one in July 2004. The Chinese state-run media denied such exercises had taken place, and the Beijing government remained silent.
Crossing Rivers is something all armies practice. This should not be news.