China in ‘tight spot’ as Korean peninsula hostilities test ‘strategic patience’
Pyongyang’s provocations and growing alignment with Moscow are putting Beijing in an awkward position, according to experts
Over the past two weeks, North Korea has revised its constitution to designate Seoul as a “top enemy”, blown up inter-Korean roads on its side of the border and threatened to attack the South over alleged drone incursions.
Signalling China’s growing concerns, Beijing issued two statements this week – warning on Tuesday against “further escalation”, followed by a call on Thursday for a “political settlement” to ease tensions on the peninsula.
Ni Lexiong, a Shanghai-based military analyst, said Pyongyang’s repeated provocations had left China in an “awkward position”, especially given North Korea’s growing alignment with Russia against South Korea and the United States.
“China has tried to remain neutral … on many hotspot issues, but it is particularly difficult to do that on North Korea, which is an ally of China’s,” he said. “China, which is preoccupied with economic woes at home, apparently does not want to get into trouble, nor does it want its friends to get into trouble.”
Relations between the two Koreas started their downward slide in January, deteriorating rapidly after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the decades-old goal of reunification was no longer possible and Seoul was now his regime’s “principal enemy”.
