China Briefing | It’s time to educate the Chinese public about the nuclear threat next door
A report by the Jilin Daily advising readers on how to prepare for a nuclear attack serves a chilling reminder of the North Korea crisis
For most ordinary Chinese citizens, escalating tensions over the Korean peninsula, which have frequently dominated international media headlines over the past year or so, appear to be a thorny problem far from home, one that is mainly between North Korea and the United States.
State media have routinely played down news reports about Pyongyang’s frequent testing of long range missiles, which have been increasingly powerful and in clear violation of UN sanctions, and Washington’s increasingly belligerent threats to use military force to take out its nuclear and missile testing sites. Stories tend to be buried in newspapers’ international sections.
Located in the northeastern part of the country, Jilin, an industrial and agricultural province, shares a 1,200km border with North Korea, and is the main gateway of trade and personnel exchanges between the two countries.