China-North Korea Friendship Deepens as ICBM Launch Sparks Concern

Wang, Foreign Minister, Meets with North Korea’s Pak Myong Ho in Beijing
China’s Foreign Ministry Shifts Blame to U.S., Japan, and South Korea

In response to North Korea’s launch of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) on the 18th, South Korea, the United States, and Japan have expressed strong opposition and sought to strengthen their cooperation against North Korea. However, China demonstrated its close ties with North Korea on the day of the ICBM launch, clearly expressing its support for the country.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Pak Myong Ho, who is currently visiting China, held a meeting with Wang Yi, Director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Office, in Beijing this morning. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that Deputy Minister Pak visited China for diplomatic negotiations.

During the meeting, Minister Wang declared that the long-standing friendship between China and North Korea, forged by the direct involvement of the leaders of both nations and parties, is a treasured asset for both countries. He further pointed out that under the strategic guidance and shared interests of the supreme leaders of both parties and nations, this traditional friendship is poised to glow even more brightly in the coming era.

He said that amidst an international landscape marked by intersecting conflicts, China and North Korea have consistently supported and trusted each other, clearly recognizing the strategic importance of their friendly cooperation. Also, he emphasized that China views its relationship with North Korea from a strategic vantage point and with a long-term outlook. He expressed China’s desire to enhance communication and coordination with North Korea and to deepen exchanges and collaboration across various sectors.

Furthermore, he said, “We hope to successfully hold the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year and promote the continuous and stable development of China-North Korea friendly cooperative relations.”

Deputy Minister Pak responded, “North Korea wants to strengthen the brotherly friendship with China on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and continuously develop relations between the two countries.” He persisted, “North Korea will continue to strengthen multilateral cooperation with China, safeguard common interests, and protect regional peace and stability.”

Deputy Minister Pak is a “China expert,” having served as the Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Director in charge of China, the Consul, and Acting Ambassador of the North Korean Embassy in China.

It remains unclear if the topic of North Korea’s ICBM launch came up during the meeting between Minister Wang and Deputy Minister Pak. However, despite concerns from the international community on the day of North Korea’s ICBM launch, the fact that Wang held bilateral talks with Pak and mentioned “support, trust, and friendly cooperation” at the meeting, which China publicly disclosed, is interpreted as China’s intention to place more weight on cooperation with North Korea, despite strong opposition from South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

China also defended North Korea at the UN Security Council meeting held on the 27th of last month (local time) in response to North Korea’s military reconnaissance satellite launch, stating that “no country can sacrifice the self-defense rights of another country for its security.”

A few hours after the meeting, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not take issue with North Korea’s ICBM launch at the regular afternoon briefing. Instead, it blamed the worsening situation on the security cooperation between South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

In response to a request for comment on North Korea’s ICBM launch, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “The issue on the Korean Peninsula is complicated,” and “Attempts to solve the problem through military deterrence and pressure will not work and will only have the opposite effect, exacerbating conflict and escalating tension.”

This remark targets the security cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan. This includes the imminent operational real-time missile warning information-sharing system and the recent arrival of the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine USS Missouri at the Busan Naval Base.

Spokesperson Wang continued, “Dialogue and negotiation are the fundamental ways to solve the Korean Peninsula issue,” and “We hope that the relevant parties will correctly understand the cause of the Korean Peninsula issue, promote the political resolution process of the Korean Peninsula issue through actual actions, and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”

By. Hee Yoon Kim