Beijing (AP) -- China denies it's moving 150-thousand soldiers to its border with North Korea because of nuclear tensions.

Hong Kong media reported that Beijing deployed the soldiers to stem crime by impoverished North Korean troops and to pressure Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program.

But a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman is denying those reports.

The spokesman says soldiers have assumed border-patrol duties in a long-planned administrative change. He won't say how many troops are involved.

Beijing says the frontier is calm and it is working with North Korea to safeguard "stability and tranquility" there.

Associated Press story filed 9/18/03, found here

More (including the initial story form "sources in Hong Kong") to be found on this Google News search result page

(I heard it on Thursday's "Morning Edition"; kept forgetting to post it here.)