Pyongyang is nominally an ideological partner of Beijing, but their relations have long been strained, writes Foreign Policy.
The deployment of North Korean troops to Russia's war against Ukraine is worrisome China.
Foreign Policy writes about this.
It is noted that this week China and India announced an agreement to reduce tensions and resume mutual patrols along the disputed border.
“This is good news for Beijing, but its long-time friends have become its unpleasant neighbors lately: North Korea and Myanmar are causing anxiety and even anger among Chinese officials,” the article says.
The publication notes that China has not officially commented on recent reports that North Korean troops are heading to Ukraine to fight on the side of Russia, but “it is causing real concern in Beijing”.
“China has tried to offer both rhetorical — and to some extent material — support to Russia without damaging its ties to the West. North Korea's actions certainly cross that line,” Foreign Policy writes.
The authors point out that North Korea is China's only treaty ally, and their mutual defense agreement dates back to 1961. At the same time, Pyongyang is nominally an ideological partner of Beijing, but their relationship has “long been strained.”
“North Koreans resent China’s positioning itself as an older communist brother to the smaller nation, much as the Chinese have come to resent the Soviet Union,” the authors write.
Behind closed doors, Foreign Policy writes, North Korean leaders sometimes repeat that Japan is the “hundred-year enemy” while China is the “thousand-year enemy,” a reference to China’s historical imperialism on the Korean Peninsula. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un allegedly used similar wording himself.
“The news about Ukraine also came as Chinese experts expressed concern about North Korea's growing aggression against South Korea. Part of this concern is that Pyongyang can now use Moscow's need for allies to use the Kremlin against Beijing, reducing China's already limited leverage over North Korea,” the publication summarizes.
Recall that Pyongyang made a statement about sending troops to war against Ukraine. Pyongyang called this “baseless stereotypical rumors.” Meanwhile, North Korean authorities have said that its relations with Russia are “legitimate and cooperative.”
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