China's advice if a nuclear attack from neighboring North Korea: duck and run

Violet Law | Special to USA TODAY

YANJI, China — The Chinese government has offered advice to its citizens along the border with North Korea in case of a nuclear attack: duck and run for cover.

People in this frontier town fear they could be caught in the middle of a nuclear standoff between the United States and North Korea if Pyongyang were to step up its nuclear and missile tests that could reach the U.S. mainland.

President Trump on Thursday agreed to a high-stakes meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

More: What you need to know about potential U.S.-North Korea talks

More: U.S.: North Korea used chemical agent VX to kill Kim Jong Un's half-brother

The move toward talks comes after a war of words between North Korea and Trump ratcheted up for months, making the prospect of nuclear Armageddon appear imminent. Adding to the tension was pressure put on China from the United States and others to rein in its belligerent North Korea ally.

The concern ran so high that China's ruling Communist Party made the rare move to hammer home the risks of a nuclear war — and how to possibly survive. The state-owned newspaper here ran a full page of advice that included illustrations resembling comic strips to help get the message across.

“Don’t look toward the blast. And move quick — in two seconds look for a physical barrier to hide behind,” the newspaper warned in December. “Jump into a river or a lake and dive under the water.”

That last recommendation could be difficult because waterways are frozen most of the winter in this frigid corner of northeastern China. In Yanji and surrounding Jilin province, North Korean defectors have walked across the frozen river to reach Chinese soil. Authorities routinely send them back.

Che Yong, a 6-foot-1 native here, shudders at the thought of ducking for cover in a nuclear attack.

“I’ve been living with this threat even when I was still in college,” said Che, 27, now a doctoral student in Korean literature. “And it’s just been getting worse. Where am I going to hide when the Big One finally hits?”

The Chinese here fear they could become collateral damage as North Korea threatened to target the U.S. and its territories, including Guam.

The North's nearest underground test site is less than 70 miles away, and residents already were rattled by the tremors from nuclear tests. A 2016 test blast left a 2-foot-long split in the high school athletic field near downtown. People discuss on social media their fears that a nuclear test or blast could trigger an eruption from the active volcano on the boarder.

More: Trump: 'We'll see what happens' with possible North Korea talks

More: 'The world is watching': North Korea reportedly would consider abandoning nukes program

“I can feel the earth shake beneath my feet. You bet I’m scared, but what can I do?” said Wang Li, a university bookstore clerk looking after her nephew at the store. “I can’t leave this town. All my family is here.”

Anticipating that local residents like Wang and her family would have to flee after a nuclear strike, the Chinese government is building several “refugee settlement sites” along the border that could house a half-million people, according to The Nikkei newspaper in Japan, citing documents obtained from China Mobile, the country’s largest phone service provider.

Robert Jacobs, a historian of nuclear technologies at Hiroshima City University, said China’s duck-and-roll survival guide is largely futile. He said authorities are ill-prepared for the aftereffects of a nuclear blast.

“For people living across the border, the real problem for them is radioactive fallout and what comes after,” Jacobs said. “The (newspaper) advisory is public relations management. They tell people things to make them feel good.”

Che, born to one of the many ethnic Koreans who have lived in this region for generations, taps outside sources to stay informed about a possible nuclear threat. He knows that China's state-censored media often ignore news developments as a way to maintain order.

“Most Koreans in the area tune into South Korea TV channels for news, so we have better access to facts,” Che said. “North Korea is a huge threat to our security."