Earlier this month, China and North Korea reaffirmed a relationship they once described as as close as “mouth to teeth” and praised their 75-year diplomatic relationship.
But North Korea’s decision to send thousands of troops to Russia to fight Ukraine, revealed this week by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, will test those bonds like never before. It will be.
China is frustrated that North Korea is destabilizing North Asia with its nuclear weapons program and regular threats to annihilate South Korea. Now North Korea is fomenting war in Europe, which could deepen a broader conflict over the world order that pits the United States and its allies against an axis of anti-Western powers led by China and Russia.
China is trying to position itself as a force for peace and contrast with the United States, which it accuses of trying to start a new Cold War. The prospect of soldiers from China’s only treaty ally fighting Western-backed forces on behalf of one of Beijing’s closest partners undermines that narrative.
Analysts say another concern for Chinese leaders is the exchange of military technology from Russia to North Korea in return for sending troops. This could embolden North Korea to take more aggressive actions against South Korea and Japan, while also affecting the reclusive nation despite its dependence on China for trade and aid. This could reduce China’s ability to provide
North Korea’s provocative actions have already contributed to the trilateral security alliance between the United States, Japan, and South Korea signed at Camp David last year. China has likened the deal to Asia’s NATO, reinforcing Beijing’s feeling that it is constrained and besieged by the United States and its allies.
China is currently at a halfway point. While Western countries seek to isolate Russia, China has deepened trade and diplomatic ties with Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. China may not know how to rein in North Korea’s efforts to support the Kremlin, said Victor D. Cha, a professor at the university. He teaches government and international affairs at Georgetown University and is the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
“China is caught between paralysis and incompetence in this regard. They are indirectly supporting Russia’s war effort, but they cannot be satisfied with North Korea’s efforts,” Cha said. He spoke, referring to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea. “Nothing is going to be good for them in the short or long term.”
Just as speculation persists about whether Beijing had advance knowledge of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, questions remain about whether Beijing had advance knowledge of North Korea’s plans. Dew.
China has not commented on the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia other than to say it expects all parties to the conflict to reduce tensions and work towards a political solution.
At a summit of emerging market countries in Russia on Wednesday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping reiterated that position, calling on countries not to “add fuel to the fire.”
The U.S. has said China could help end the fighting by withdrawing aid to Russia, which includes a variety of supplies such as microchips, chemicals and drones that can be used in civilian goods and weapons. These include the provision of dual-use technology and the purchase of large quantities of Russian weapons. oil.