By That is what this report is alledging:
China has detected a deadly nerve gas at its North Korean border and suspects an accidental release from its neighbor, according to a Japanese news report on Oct. 9.
The Chinese military is intensifying its surveillance activities after identifying the highly virulent Sarin gas in November last year and again in February, according to a report from the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, that cited anonymous sources from the Chinese military. The gas was found in Liaoning Province.
Chinese special operations forces found trace levels of Sarin gas when conducting regular surveys in winds blowing from North Korea, the report said.
Yongbo Liang, a chemistry professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong said a very small dose of Sarin gas could paralyze the nervous system. Though Sarin is volatile and less lethal in the open air, it is still harmful, he said. Liang said the incident is worthy of attention and the source should be determined.
A chemical plant in Sinuiju, near the North Korea border is suspected of being connected to the North Korean military, said the report. According to South Korea’s Defense White Paper in 2008, North Korea began chemical weapons production in the 1980s and is thought to store up to 5,000 metric tons of these weapons.
China suspects that the gas resulted from an accident or experiment. [Epoch Times]
The first thing that crosses my mind if this is true, is why is North Korea experimenting with sarin gas for?
Anyway I went and checked the English editions of both China Daily and Xinhua and there was no articles on this incident. Does anyone know if this is being reported in the Chinese media?
Adam Cathcart thinks the release of this information is interesting considering that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao just returned from North Korea after lavishing on them a massive Chinese aid package. According to the article this sarin gas was detected back in February 2008 and only now was this information leaked to the media. If someone is leaking this information in order to embarrass the Chinese government for their support of North Korea, it is going to have little effect if it is not reported within China.
6:54 am on October 12th, 2009 1
[...] Korea Test Fires Two Missiles: Chinese Media Reports on DPRK By adamcathcart Mainland Chinese media may not be reporting on the alleged sarin gas leaks from Sinuiju towards Dand…, but they aren’t shy about being quick off the starting blocks when North Korea test fires [...]
7:14 am on October 12th, 2009 2
“Does anyone know if this is being reported in the Chinese media?”
If I were you, I’d first ask myself if I should trust the source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Epoch_Times
9:59 am on October 12th, 2009 3
The Epoch Times is just quoting an AFP report that was taken from the Japanese media which provides the best reporting out of North Korea:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091008/wl_asia_afp/chinankoreamilitaryaccident_20091008234610
11:28 am on October 12th, 2009 4
It was reported on the Japanese newspaper (Asahi Shimbun) first, quickly after the report, the Chinese government denied the report.
Asahi recently had another quibble with the Chinese Government about the visit of Kim's son to China which the Chinese government also denied, but many expert have suggested that the report could be true.
I don't know about this time.
1:15 pm on October 12th, 2009 5
"Sarin is a fluorinated phosphonate and is similar in structure and has a similar mechanism of action as some commonly used insecticides, such as malathion. It is similar in biological activity to carbamates used as insecticides such as sevin, and medicines such as pyridostigmine, neostigmine, and physostigmine."
Mistaken identity?
3:28 pm on October 12th, 2009 6
To my knowledge it was reported in two places in Chinese media: South China Morning Post in Hong Kong (small article, English language, newspaper hard to get outside HK or overseas) and now in Daily NK (which last time I checked was accessible inside of China).
Here is the link to the Daily NK story in Chinese, which adds nothing at all new, but rehashes the Asahi report:
http://www.dailynk.com/chinese/read.php?cataId=nk…
So the information is available to the seekers in the PRC, but is far from being broadcast far and wide with the Xinhua megaphone.
3:43 pm on October 12th, 2009 7
Probably, or is that just what they want us to believe.
4:21 pm on October 12th, 2009 8
Alarm Blue, MOPP 4!
4:44 pm on October 13th, 2009 9
[...] there is some action in the comments section on ROK Drop in which it becomes clear that for Chinese who wish to find out, information about North Korean [...]
1:00 pm on November 6th, 2009 10
金正“日”（老子）像个太阳（黑太阳）。印假钞、制鸦片、贩军火、试导弹、搞核武，手握这五张王牌，自家的小日子混得悠哉游哉！可苦了北韩人民饥肠辘辘。
金正“男”（长子）酷爱洗桑拿、玩女人、赌钞票、弄电脑，可是不懂“云”计算！
金正“云”（三子）“云”里来雾里去，令全球人民一头雾水。
金正“哲”（次子）大概是哲学书看多了，想玩变性，很娘娘腔。
终于“日”（金二世）钦点“云”为将来的金三世。“日”说：“‘云’计算是全球互联网的新潮流系。将来‘云’可以在全球有所作为。至少凭借‘云’还是能混水摸鱼的！”
我（何健）说：“金二世，请别低估了‘男’，是‘男’人的，为求霸业，弑父弑弟的，既不空前也不绝后。再说您老去见邓笑贫（邓小平）后，还有将军们没跟着陪葬呀！将军们能任由‘云’摆布？！您老的妹夫张成泽是‘男’的亲信。‘男’这些年在澳门与中共关系不错。中共的支持＋张成泽的力挺＋‘男’的年龄优势＝金三世名叫金正‘男’！”[经典]
——摘自《何健语录》，欢迎转载，谢谢支持！
1:17 pm on November 6th, 2009 11
Can anyone translate?