China Frees the Shenyang Three, But Keeps Feeding the Dear Leader

They’re on their way to America now. You will recall that these refugees originally entered the South Korean Consulate, then overpowered a guard, jumped a wall, and entered the U.S. Consulate next door.

I don’t necessarily see this as a sign that Chinese-North Korean relations are cooling, by the way. With the refugees safely inside an American Consulate, the Chinese and the Americans alike really had no choice but to allow this at some appropriate time. And although there are some signs of China’s diplomatic displeasure at Kim Jong Il, it’s still feeding him.

That support will be tested soon. According to the World Food Program, recent flooding in North Korea has damaged 74,000 acres of farmland, left 60,000 people homeless, and will raise North Korea’s food production shortfall by 10% this year.