China has reason to be concerned as North Korea and Russia build stronger military and political ties, according to an expert.
North Korea has been supplying ammunition for Russian forces to bolster dwindling supplies used up fighting a war in Ukraine.
Pyongyang’s Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un, even met with Vladimir Putin in September 2023 to discuss an arms deal.
It was reported that, in return, North Korea could benefit from Russia’s technologies, capabilities for satellites, and its nuclear program among other benefits.
A month later, the US tracked more than 1,000 containers of equipment and ammo sent from North Korea and Russia.
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South Korea later claimed that there had been 10 such arms transfers since August, meaning Russia may have received over a million shells from North Korea.
Business Insider reported on Tuesday that “the US isn’t the only one concerned about Kim and Putin’s apparent cosiness.”
The outlet’s defence reporter, Chris Panella, added: “China, too, has reason to keep an eye on the relationship, particularly if Russia can exercise, to some extent, the kind of influence over Kim that Beijing has long enjoyed – and kept guarded.”
He also highlighted that China and North Korea have previously clashed over Kim’s nuclear weapons programme, with tests causing concern for Beijing who would rather see stability in the region.
Victor Cha, the senior vice president for Asia and the Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told Business Insider that North Korea is now “sitting pretty” while the US has been “sidelined.”
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He said: “North Korea is sitting pretty right now. They started out with a spectacular failure in Hanoi with the Trump summits, then they went into COVID lockdown for three years.
“Now they’ve come out and they’re in a fantastic position with the Russians courting them, with the Chinese courting them, and with the US on the sidelines.”
Kim has this week shocked many by declaring that reunification between North and South Korea is now impossible.
He also called for a change to the constitution to identify South Korea as the “number one hostile state.”
Kim added: “We don’t want war, but we have no intention of avoiding it.”
A decision adopted by the Supreme People’s Assembly said: “The two most hostile states, which are at war, are now in acute confrontation on the Korean peninsula. The reunification of Korea can never be achieved with the Republic of Korea.”
