TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - North Korea and China have a "deeper and more comprehensive mutual understanding," China's official Xinhua news agency reported after Chinese President Xi Jinping took off from Pyongyang on Tuesday afternoon after a summit with Kim Jong Un.
"The direction of future development has become clearer and more defined," Xi said at a luncheon before his departure, according to Xinhua.
North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported after the summit that Xi and North Korean leader Kim discussed expanding bilateral cooperation and strengthening strategic communication, while deepening exchanges across political, economic and cultural sectors.
However, beyond the diplomatic niceties, Xi's first trip to North Korea since 2019 comes as Beijing has seen its traditional ally inch away from its orbit. Pyongyang has grown closer to Vladimir Putin's Russia, supplying both weaponry and manpower in exchange for Russian military know-how and other support.
"China seems to be trying to revive and upgrade a relationship that many observers had considered largely symbolic," Han Ki-bom, a former deputy director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), told DW.
He added that Xi's visit was partly aimed at reducing North Korea's growing dependence on Russia, as Beijing has become increasingly concerned about North Korea's close military cooperation with Moscow since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"This visit goes beyond improving bilateral relations," Han said.
"While the 2019 Xi-Kim summit largely focused on repairing and strengthening bilateral ties, this week's meeting suggests that Beijing increasingly views North Korea as a strategic partner in addressing broader international and regional challenges," he added.
No Mention of North Korean Nukes
While supplying Russia's war in Ukraine, North Korea has also been building up its nuclear weapons program and has tested an array of ballistic missiles in recent years.
Beijing has generally been opposed to North Korea's nuclear development, including by backing multiple UN Security Council resolutions penalizing North Korea for its nuclear tests.
China's official position advocates a denuclearized Korean Peninsula to prevent regional instability, in one of the few areas where Beijing aligns with the United States. Chinese and US officials had previously reiterated support for denuclearization during recent diplomatic exchanges.
However, the Rodong Sinmun and Chinese state media readouts of the summit made no reference to North Korea's nuclear program or denuclearization.
Before Xi's visit, North Korea's Foreign Ministry said the "denuclearization" of North Korea "will never happen." On Sunday, Kim's powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, said North Korea's "status as a nuclear weapons state is the line of no retreat."
Leader Kim Jong Un did a publicity tour last week of what South Korea said was a new uranium enrichment facility.
Han said that Beijing increasingly avoids publicly raising denuclearization with Pyongyang.
"China is not formally recognizing North Korea as a nuclear weapons state," he said. "But by no longer emphasizing denuclearization, Beijing is effectively tolerating the reality of North Korea's nuclear program," he added.
Kim Hyung Suk, a former South Korean vice minister of unification, said the visit was designed to demonstrate that China and North Korea continue to share a strategic partnership.
"The issue of North Korea's denuclearization was intentionally omitted from the talks, while political, military and economic cooperation was emphasized," Kim said.
A China-North Korea Axis?
Former South Korean Unification Ministry spokesperson Jeong Joon-hee told DW that Pyongyang may be seeking to leverage China's concerns about closer ties with Russia to secure tacit recognition of North Korea's status as a nuclear-armed state.
At the same time, Beijing can look to an emboldened North Korea as a stronger strategic partner moving forward.
"It is particularly worth noting that strengthening the China-North Korea military alliance offers distinct advantages," Jeong said.
"It enables North Korea to use its nuclear capabilities to deter the US in the event of a Taiwan crisis. Economically, it secures China's access to the Sea of Japan through North Korea, thereby promoting the development of China's northeastern region," he added.
Han noted that official statements repeatedly emphasized "strategic cooperation" and coordination between the countries' top leaders, language that suggests a broader geopolitical dimension than previous summits.
How Does North Korea Benefit?
"For North Korea, meanwhile, improved relations with China could provide significant economic and diplomatic benefits," Han added.
"Pyongyang wants to avoid relying exclusively on Russia," Han said. "By improving relations with both Beijing and Moscow, Kim Jong Un can maximize North Korea's leverage and extract benefits from both sides."
China remains North Korea's largest trading partner and a crucial source of economic support despite international sanctions.
The two sides agreed not only to strengthen political and economic exchanges but also to expand cooperation across multiple sectors, including diplomacy and strategic coordination, Jeong said.
He added that Pyongyang's support for Beijing's position on Taiwan and China's backing of North Korea's policy objectives suggest that both governments are increasingly willing to support each other's core interests.
"The discussions indicate that China and North Korea are trying to establish a broader framework for cooperation beyond traditional bilateral ties," Jeong said.
Read: North Korea Quietly Ramps up Its Nuclear Program
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