Chinese troops head to North Korean border as tensions mount between North and South Korea

PLA tanks pass through Yanji near the China-North Korea border.

The People’s Liberation Army has sent troops to China’s border with North Korea as escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula have pushed North and South to the brink of possible war.

The Hong Kong-based Oriental Daily reported Saturday that internet users have been uploading photos of what appear to be PLA armoured vehicles and tanks passing through the streets of Yanji, the seat of the Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture in eastern Jilin province. The city, considered a key transport and trade hub between China and the DPRK, is less than 30 kilometres from the 1,400-kilometer border.

The military deployment is believed to reflect how seriously Beijing considers the the current standoff between North and South Korea. Delegates from Pyongyang and Seoul have agreed to continue talks at 3 pm Sunday local time after the first high-level dialogue between the…