The sending of North Korean troops to participate in Russia’s war against Ukraine causes concern in China. About this informs Foreign Policy.
The publication notes that this week China and India reached an agreement to reduce tensions on the disputed border, which is positive news for Beijing. At the same time, Chinese officials are increasingly worried about the actions of longtime allies, North Korea and Myanmar.
Although China has not officially commented on the report that North Korea may send troops to support Russia in Ukraine, in Beijing, according to the publication, this causes “deep concern”: China is trying to maintain rhetorical and certain material support for Russia without jeopardizing its ties with the West, while North Korea’s moves upset that balance.
The authors emphasize that North Korea remains China’s only treaty ally with a mutual defense agreement in place since 1961. Despite the formal ideological partnership, relations between the countries have long been strained. China is often perceived by North Korea as an “elder communist brother”, which angers Pyongyang. North Korean leaders sometimes refer to China as a “thousand-year-old enemy,” referring to China’s historical attempts to control the Korean peninsula.
This situation is taking place against the background of increasing aggressive actions by North Korea against South Korea, which also worries Chinese experts. They see the threat that Pyongyang could use Russia’s need for allies to weaken Chinese influence over itself, using the Kremlin for its own purposes, thereby further complicating relations with China.
