NKorea, China Vow to Defend Common Interests

Facts

• North Korea and China reportedly agreed to strengthen their defense ties and defend common interests on Friday, as ministers from both countries discussed boosting their tactical cooperation and strategic communication 'at all levels.'¹
• Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Sun Weidong met with his North Korean counterpart Pak Myong Ho in Pyongyang, reportedly reaffirming their 'unswerving stance' on developing bilateral ties.²
• Sans too many details, North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Sun’s team arrived in Pyongyang Thursday, crossing the land border between the countries.³
• North Korea is making efforts to bolster ties with China and Russia — who are both veto-holding permanent members of the UN Security Council — amid rising tension with the US and South Korea.¹
• In September, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin after having traveled to Russia's Far East. Some analysts predict that he may soon meet Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping, too.⁴
• Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Thailand on Friday and Saturday following talks between US Pres. Joe Biden and Xi in November as the two adversaries seek to cool long-simmering tensions.⁵

Sources: ¹The Straits Times, ²Jerusalem Post, ³US News & World Report, ⁴Associated Press and ⁵The White House.

Narratives

• Pro-North Korea narrative, as provided by KCNA Watch. China and North Korea are celebrating 75 years of their diplomatic ties. In this context, 2024 has been designated the Year of Friendship by the two nations. Along with Russia, China has always been viewed by North Korea as a close friend amid its run-ins with South Korea and other nations of the West, especially the US. The two East Asian nations growing even closer in these circumstances should not surprise any observer, as both countries have an obligation to band together against potential foreign aggression.
• Anti-North Korea Narrative, as provided by Wavell Room. Pyongyang playing truant over nuclear weapons and its constant saber-rattling toward neighboring South Korea and Japan doesn't necessarily align with Beijing's focus on maintaining its long borders. North Korea also doesn't help much in China's maritime disputes and long-term expansion goals, so it's likely China only tolerates the country because it plays well with its own strategic, even if limited, calculations. As long as North Korea behaves within China's red lines, the friendship will continue.

Predictions