North Korea Welcomes China's Top Delegation for a 'Friendship Year' Launch
North Korea's efforts to enhance relations with Beijing and Moscow intensify as China sends its most significant delegation since 2019. The visit coincides with ongoing coordination between the US and its neighboring countries, signaling strategic developments in the region.
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China is gearing up for its highest-level visit to North Korea in nearly five years, scheduled to start on Thursday. This visit comes as Pyongyang aims to enhance its relations with Beijing and Moscow, especially in light of increased coordination among its neighboring countries and the United States.
Zhao Leji, China's third-highest ranked official, is set to lead a delegation on a "goodwill visit" to North Korea. This visit marks the beginning of a "friendship year" celebrating 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, as announced by Beijing on Tuesday.
According to a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the three-day visit, which was initiated by North Korea, highlights the significance that China places on their relationship with North Korea. This sentiment was also echoed by North Korea's state media agency KCNA, which confirmed the upcoming visit.
Analysts say that this visit provides a rare chance for a top Chinese official to directly communicate with North Korea's highly secretive government.
Zhao, who currently leads China's national legislature and is a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, is the highest-ranking Chinese visitor to North Korea since Xi Jinping's state visit in 2019.
The trip comes at a time when both countries are concerned about a region that they perceive as becoming more hostile. This is especially due to the increased security collaboration between the US and its allies Japan and South Korea, who are working together to address threats from Beijing and Pyongyang.
President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida walk on the colonnade as they make their way to a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on April 10 in Washington, DC.
President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stroll along the colonnade on their way to a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on April 10.
Andrew Harnik/Pool/Getty Images
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The delegation is coming at a time when there is increased global worry about North Korea. Recently, North Korea has been using aggressive language and carrying out weapons tests. It has also strengthened its relationship with Moscow and is supplying weapons for the conflict in Ukraine, according to the US and its allies.
These tensions are highlighted as the Chinese delegation arrives in Washington during a week of important diplomatic discussions focused on Asia.
US President Joe Biden is currently hosting a trilateral summit with the Philippines and Japan. This comes just after a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, where they both promised to work together to address issues posed by China and North Korea.
In a recent interview with CNN before the meeting, Kishida highlighted the strong connections between China, North Korea, and Russia. He emphasized the importance of upholding a global order that is free and open, based on the principles of the rule of law.
Zhao's "goodwill" mission holds more significance than a visit from a government-level minister, as he is the No. 3 official under Xi and Premier Li Qiang in the Chinese Communist Party.
The visit is not anticipated to bring about diplomatic progress, but it will allow China to strengthen its longstanding and intricate connections with North Korea – and show the US and the region that it holds sway there.
According to Liu Dongshu, an assistant professor at City University in Hong Kong, China aims to demonstrate its influence as the US seeks closer cooperation with Japan and South Korea.
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The trip presents a valuable chance for top Chinese political leaders to gain a deeper insight into the current situation in North Korea.
Since North Korea relaxed pandemic restrictions last year, only a few Chinese officials have visited the country. This period has seen heightened rhetoric on nuclear weapons development and a significant policy shift away from pursuing reunification with South Korea by Pyongyang.
Liu suggested that China should try to understand what is happening and the true intentions of the North Korean leader. This is especially important now that North Korea has recently recovered from Covid and made changes to its policies. In addition to regular communication, China should seek to gather more information.
For North Korea, the visit presents a chance to strengthen its relationship with its top international ally. This is crucial as North Korea aims to protect itself against the increasing military exercises and security cooperation between the US and South Korea, which Kim perceives as a threat to his leadership.
Balance of power
China has long walked a thin line in its relations with North Korea.
North Korea heavily relies on China for economic support due to international sanctions imposed on the country for its illegal weapons testing. Additionally, the two nations share a deep historical and ideological connection, having fought alongside each other during the Korean War in the 1950s.
Beijing sees an advantage in diverting US attention away from itself towards North Korea's aggressive rhetoric and weapons testing. However, China is also keen on preventing any actions by Kim Jong-un that could lead to a catastrophic conflict in the region or bring more US military presence closer to its borders.
"When China's regional geopolitical situation worsens, they tend to be more supportive or accommodating towards North Korea," shared Li Mingjiang, an associate professor at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
Conversely, "When China perceives less geopolitical pressure from the US and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, they are more likely to exert pressure on North Korea's nuclear and missile policies," he explained.
China is also closely monitoring the increased collaboration between North Korea and Russia. Last year, Kim visited Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council
Andrew Kelly/Reuters/File
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Beijing has strengthened its economic, diplomatic, and security relationships with Russia after Putin's invasion of Ukraine. They have chosen not to comment on any potential arms transfers from North Korea to Russia, stating that their collaboration is a "matter between those two sovereign states."
Furthermore, Beijing abstained from a recent United Nations Security Council vote to prolong monitoring of North Korea's breaches of UN sanctions. Unfortunately, Russia vetoed this measure.
While the three authoritarian countries have common security concerns and are against the American network of ****alliances, Beijing is cautious about appearing to align too closely with Russia and North Korea, as noted by Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington.
According to Sun, China is hesitant to go back to a strong alliance with North Korea and Russia, and may be concerned about Pyongyang's ties with Moscow diminishing China's own influence.
“But China plays a critical and irreplaceable role in both economies and the Russia-(North Korea) rapprochement has not threatened or damaged China’s interests yet.”
Editor's P/S:
The upcoming visit of China's third-highest ranked official, Zhao Leji, to North Korea marks a significant development in the complex geopolitical landscape of the region. This "goodwill visit" underscores the importance that China places on its relationship with North Korea, especially in light of increased coordination among the US and its allies. Zhao's mission presents a rare opportunity for direct communication between top Chinese officials and North Korea's highly secretive government, providing valuable insights into the current situation in the country.
While China has long maintained a delicate balance in its relations with North Korea, the visit also highlights the challenges that Beijing faces in managing its relationships with both Pyongyang and Moscow. As North Korea and Russia strengthen their ties, China must carefully navigate the implications for its own strategic interests. The visit by Zhao Leji is a strategic move by China to demonstrate its influence and maintain its sway in the region, while simultaneously monitoring the evolving dynamics between North Korea and Russia.
