Eric's Beijing Diary

Angela sent me a link today to some extraordinary news. China has stopped returning refugees from North Korea into Northeast China. This is probably in response to two incidents. One is the recent demonstrations in front of the Chinese embassy in South Korea, which have brought attention to China's refusal to recognize North Korean refugees as refugees. The other is the stubborn determination of North Korea to go ahead with a rocket launch in defiance of the international community. This was a matter of profound embarassment to China, because China had been urging all parties to resolve the problem through negotiation. China's naughty child has not been cooperating. But this really is extraordinary news. Refugees who from North Korea who are able to get to South Korea are automatically granted citizenship.