Diplomats as Snake Heads

Well-organized gangs called “snake heads” have specialized in the smuggle of “living goods” up until now, but authorized foreign diplomatic offices in China are currently trying to intercept this trade. The neo-traffic mechanism is a lot easier and cheaper than the one of gangsters: one or several Koreans from the Korean People’s and Democratic Republic penetrate into China and visit any diplomatic office of the “civilized society.” After short negotiations with Chinese authorities, there will be an opportunity given to him (or them) to move onto the territory of South Korea, basically via a third country. Journalists calculate that some 50 people had already used such an opportunity to travel.

Chinese authorities had to assist in such “traffic,” because they were willing to maintain peace and mutual understanding with the “civilized society,” but they run out of patience. A spokesperson for the foreign ministry of China stated that foreign embassies and consulate offices were not entitled to grant political asylum to anyone, pursuant to international laws. It was said that foreign people who intrude upon the territory of diplomatic departments, should be delivered to Chinese authorities. In addition, a middle-aged man, who intruded upon the territory of the South Korean diplomatic office in Beijing (there are reportedly some 20 candidates for the political asylum over there), was taken out of the office by Chinese guards. The relations between South Korea and China chilled, as both parties accuse each other of violation of the Vienna Convention.

Andrey Krushinsky PRAVDA.Ru Beijing

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov