North Korea's Pak Marks 65-Year China Treaty in Beijing as Alliance Endures Strategic Strains
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 10
North Korea's Pak Marks 65-Year China Treaty in Beijing as Alliance Endures Strategic Strains
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 10
Summary
Pak Thae Song made a three-day visit to Beijing this week to mark the 65th anniversary of the China-North Korea friendship treaty, underscoring that the pact still anchors ties.
The 1961 treaty remains China’s only formal military alliance and includes a mutual-defence clause, giving both sides a strong incentive to preserve it despite decades of friction over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
Beijing still sees North Korea as a buffer state on its 1,400km border and a bulwark against US forces in South Korea, while trying to avoid war, refugee flows and regime collapse.
Pyongyang, however, now has more leverage after signing a 2024 mutual-defence partnership with Russia, which offers military, energy and financial support while raising Chinese concerns about losing influence.
That mix of dependence and rivalry is drawing Beijing and Pyongyang closer again as the US, South Korea and Japan deepen military coordination, even though China remains wary of North Korea’s destabilising behaviour.