Even as China continues its cooperation with the Trump administration and its “maximum pressure” campaign against North Korea’s nuclear program, there were signs during leader Kim Jong-un’s visit to Beijing that the shriveled remnants of a Socialist fraternity may be poised to blossom again.
Make no mistake about it, by most accounts, China’s efforts to apply pressure to the Kim regime have been real. In fact, The Financial Times reported Thursday, Xi Jinping may have gone even further than UN sanctions required. And why not? Xi’s distaste for the young renegade leader has been telegraphed through a chill in bilateral relations ever since he took office.
But there are now signs the relationship is set to warm, though it is unclear what Beijing wants in return, and what kind of arrangement Kim – or the wild card, Trump – will be willing to sign up for.
Some hints that both sides were setting the table for a reset in personal ties between the two countries’ leaders surfaced last November. Following the Chinese president’s reelection at the time, Xi extended a thank you in exchange for Kim’s congratulations (or so N Korea reported). Chinese state media, however, didn’t mention the exchange.
This week, Chinese state media covered Kim’s surprise visit to Beijing extensively, showing images of the leaders smiling together as if they were close allies. The trip was termed “unofficial,” but it had all the trappings of a full-fledged state visit.
North Korean state media went even further in playing up the visit, putting out a 40 minute documentary on the event, which they were kind enough to translate into English:
The video, posted on YouTube by an unofficial North Korean state-linked account, lavished praise on China, portraying a friendship in stark contrast to current tensions marked by harsh sanctions.
“[Kim] made the following entry in the visitors’ book: We can grasp the mightiness of China, a great neighboring country,” the narrator said during a scene showing Kim’s visit to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “More excellent scientific successes will be achieved under the wise leadership of the Communist Party of China.”
Whatever comes from the looming summits between Kim and Trump, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and even potentially Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the past week has made it clear that China remains the most important piece to the puzzle. Xi Jinping has for the first time since ties with North Korea went south at the outset of his administration extended his hand to the rogue state.
From the images broadcast on both Chinese and North Korean state media it looks like Xi wants to revive a long-wilted Socialist brotherhood in Northeast Asia.
The little boy is unsure of how to deal with the outside world especially with the US. He needs a helping hand from China. In return he accepts Chinese leadership and guidance in his dealings. His position in such negotiation is considerably strengthened.
Your arrogance is showing, eater of dogs.
Mustafa Sunnishyte are you really, really a Muslim? I doubt it. You could be a phishing Western agent, no?
US need to spell out how it will offer North Korea a security guarantee. The minimum would be be to close all its military and naval bases on the Korean peninsula and stop all military exercises, flights and ships voyages within 1000km radius of its coastlines. Withdraw all sanctions. Persuade China and Russia to provide a nuclear umbrella that will be in effect if US attacks North Korea subsequently. Any alleged attack on US or South Korea by North Korea to be investigated by Russia and China and abide by their findings. This is to to prevent false flag incidents by the US.