Xi Pushes Military Ties with North Korea After Putin Snub
Xi Jinping urged Kim Jong-un to expand military cooperation during a Pyongyang visit as China seeks to reassert influence over North Korea, which has increasingly aligned with Russia.
According to Breitbart News, the Chinese government news agency Xinhua detailed Xi’s remarks during his brief Monday and Tuesday visit to the North Korean capital, where the Communist Party chief emphasized deepening ties across multiple sectors including military affairs.
During the visit, Xi Jinping called for both nations to enhance exchanges in diplomacy, law enforcement, and military matters while implementing consensus reached between the two leaders. He stressed the need to strengthen strategic coordination and jointly safeguard regional peace and development, Xinhua reported.
The overture comes as relations between Beijing and Pyongyang have cooled considerably over the past decade. North Korea, once viewed as essentially a Chinese proxy regime, has pivoted dramatically toward Moscow under Kim Jong-un‘s leadership, particularly following the coronavirus pandemic which Pyongyang hinted had personally affected the dictator’s health.
Russia Supplants China as Primary Military Partner
The realignment reached its apex when Kim elevated military ties with Russia by signing a mutual defense treaty with Vladimir Putin in 2024. That agreement immediately preceded the large-scale deployment of North Korean soldiers to Europe, where they are currently fighting alongside Russian forces in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
In contrast to Xi’s emphasis on military cooperation, Kim’s public remarks to his Chinese counterpart focused on economic collaboration. The North Korean leader highlighted cooperation in economy and trade, infrastructure, science and technology, education, and cultural exchanges, according to reporting from Breitbart News.
Seoul Takes Notice of Military Overture
South Korean officials have taken particular interest in Xi’s public discussion of military cooperation with Pyongyang. An anonymous official from the South Korean Unification Ministry told the Yonhap news agency that this represented the first known case in which the subject has been raised publicly in modern post-armistice history.
The distinction is significant given that China and North Korea fought together against South Korea and the United States during the Korean War before the 1953 armistice. With no formal peace treaty in place, the two Koreas technically remain in a state of war, making any expansion of Chinese involvement with North Korean military forces a matter of acute national security concern for Seoul.
Further evidence of military discussions came in Xi’s delegation composition. China’s defense minister, Dong Jun, accompanied the Communist Party leader to Pyongyang and attended the lavish banquet Kim hosted Monday night, though no state media coverage detailed any specific comments or activities by Dong beyond his presence.
Nuclear Issue Conspicuously Absent
Notably absent from all public statements by both Chinese and North Korean state media was any mention of Pyongyang’s illicit nuclear weapons program. The Korean Central News Agency reported that the leaders discussed international and regional security issues, with Xinhua describing in-depth discussions on safeguarding peace and stability. However, South Korean news agency Yonhap confirmed that it found no public statements from either side addressing the nuclear question.
North Korea possesses dozens of nuclear warheads and regularly tests various ballistic missiles. Prior to its deepening cooperation with Russia, the regime appeared to struggle with advancing military technology in other sectors. Following Putin’s visit and the signing of the mutual defense treaty, however, observers noted rapid upgrades to North Korean military capabilities.
Most notably, Kim announced in November 2024 that North Korea was now producing indigenous suicide drones, representing a significant technological leap that South Korean analysts viewed with concern.
Xi’s visit and his public push for military cooperation signal Beijing’s concern about losing strategic influence over its neighbor as Pyongyang deepens its partnership with Moscow amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
With information from Breitbart News
