Chinese government publicly denied the recent analysis that there is a strange atmosphere between North Korea and China in contrast to the increasingly evident cozy relationship between North Korea and Russia.
During a regular briefing yesterday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded to the current state of North Korea-China relations, “This year marks the 71st anniversary of the armistice of the Korean War. Seventy-one years ago, the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army fought alongside the North Korean people and military to achieve a great victory in the War to Resist America and Assist Korea.”
He emphasized that “through this process, both sides established a strong traditional friendship forged in blood” and reiterated that “despite significant changes in the international situation, our Party and government’s consistent stance remains unchanged: we value and will continue to develop our traditional friendly cooperative bilateral relationship.”
He expressed strong displeasure regarding the recent attention from some foreign and domestic media on signs of unusual behavior between the two nations. He stated that individual countries and media outlets have been spreading unfounded claims about issues in North Korea-China relations. He emphasized that the narrative suggesting that China and Russia are competing over their relationships with North Korea is entirely baseless and has ulterior motives.
He added that both North Korea and Russia are friendly neighboring countries of China and concluded by saying that China welcomes the development of North Korea-Russia relations as a constructive role in regional peace and stability.
However, despite Lin’s denials, signs of unusual tensions between North Korea and China have emerged. For instance, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently instructed diplomats stationed in China to carry out their duties without fearing friction with China.
It is also noteworthy that Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun did not attend the military parade held in Pyongyang on the evening of “Victory Day,” the 27th, while many foreign diplomats attended. This suggests that there may indeed be some unusual currents flowing between the two sides. Lin’s vigorous denial indicates that there might be more to the situation than meets the eye.
Previously, the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed condolences and sympathy to victims and those affected by the recent large-scale flooding along the Amnok River, which borders North Korea. According to reports from Chinese state media, the Amnok River area of North Korea had extensive flood damage due to sudden heavy rain.
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