At a regular press conference, a French journalist tried to sow discord between China and North Korea and Russia. He asked the question: "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said that he will make North Korea's relations with Russia a top priority, so relations with China are North Korea's 'first tasks.'"”
To this question, spokesperson Mao Ning gave an atmospheric answer, emphasizing that North Korea regards relations with Russia as a top priority, but this does not mean that cooperation with China will be ignored or weakened.
The relationship between China and the DPRK remains very important and will continue to be maintained and developed.
While we can't be sure whether Kim Jong-un's remarks are diplomatic rhetoric or whether he really puts Russia-North Korea relations ahead of China-North Korea relations, we still need to wonder why Russia and North Korea have suddenly become so close.
After a brief trough after the collapse of the Soviet Union and Yeltsin**, at the beginning of the 21st century, relations between Russia and North Korea began to gradually warm up, and the two leaders of Putin and North Korea met several times in Moscow, Pyongyang and Vladivostok.
The rupture and restoration of relations between the two countries are motivated by interests. The proximity of North Korea and Russia is something that both sides have in mind. Before the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, North Korea needed Russia's influence to improve its international standing and hoped to be able to engage in large-scale economic cooperation with Russia.
Russia has the same idea, and large-scale economic cooperation in Northeast Asia is a good option in the context of poor relations with the West.
With NATO's eastward expansion and the game between the United States and Russia in the Middle East, Russia's geopolitical living space has been continuously squeezed. It was only until the victory in Syria that Russia broke the US and European grip on Europe and won breathing space.
With no threat to the west and relative stability in the Middle East, Russia hopes to increase its international influence by resolving North Korea's nuclear issues. However, Russia remains wary of cooperation with North Korea, and although the two countries agreed to hold joint military exercises as early as 2011, there has been no substantial progress.
In addition, Russia is hesitant to engage in economic and trade dealings with North Korea because it could violate the United Nations sanctions resolution against North Korea. Despite the introduction of the F-35 by the DPRK, Russia is reluctant to ** the Su-35 to augment the DPRK's air force.
Russia wants to use North Korea to boost its international influence, but it doesn't want to be blamed for violating U.N. resolutions.
Relations between Russia and North Korea have taken a major turn in 2022. North Korea has openly supported Russia's "special military operation," despite Russia's opposition to North Korea's nuclear test because it could affect Russia's Far East.
This may be due to the fact that North Korea is in a very closed position in the international arena and does not worry about international repercussions. In addition, North Korea does not care about UN resolutions because it is sanctioned by the United Nations.
For Russia, they hope that this "special military operation" will be resolved as soon as possible, as was the case with the previous Russo-Georgian and Crimean wars.
The ideal is full, but the reality is cruel, and the current Ukraine has long ceased to be what it used to be. With the assistance of the United States and the West, the Ukrainian army did not collapse easily, but turned Russia's "special military operation" into a protracted war and a war of attrition.
This is unacceptable for Russia, since their own limited production capacity cannot withstand such consumption. But since they provoked this war, they can only fight hard.
As a result, we see a peculiar scenario in which a powerful country that once swept Europe with a torrent of steel now has to buy arms from countries like Iran and Turkey.
However, Iran and Turkey have limited production capacity, and Russia has turned to North Korea in the hope of obtaining howitzers and mortars from North Korea, which they desperately need**.
Through the port of Najin in North Korea, these ** can be shipped directly to Hassan in the Russian Far East. Although the cost of this mode of transportation is high, the number of ** that North Korea can provide is large, and it can make up for some disadvantages by pulling it over one by one.
Because Russia needs North Korea's support and North Korea is willing to assist, Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia was made possible. His participation in Russia's Eastern Economic Forum is only part of the reason, but more important is the location of the meeting between the leaders of the two countries – Putin and Kim Jong-un.
Russia understands very well the love of the DPRK for rocket equipment and the fact that the DPRK has begun to try to develop space technology. Therefore, Putin chose to meet with Kim Jong-un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Oblast, which indicates Russia's willingness to help North Korea make progress in space exploration and rocket construction.
North Korea's intercontinental missile technology is expected to reach a new level, thanks to Russian technical assistance. At the same time, Kim Jong-un emphasized the close ties with Russia at the Putin meeting and expressed the hope that relations between the two countries will continue to develop together.
So, do North Korean missiles pose a threat to Moscow? We don't know.
The priority relationship and the primary relationship are semantically similar, but there are still some differences between them. Moreover, the French journalist has clearly taken the quote out of context, and Kim Jong-un's relationship with Russia is based on a "comrade" position in the common confrontation with Western hegemony, and has nothing to do with China.
In order to demonstrate friendly relations with North Korea, Putin has also become more open-minded and seems to have completely let go of his past concerns. After concluding his meeting with Putin, Kim Jong-un also visited the Gagarin aircraft factory in the Khabarovsk Territory of the Far East, where he visited the plant for the production of Su-57 and civil aircraft.
Next, he may also visit the Russian Pacific Fleet Command as well as the Far Eastern Federal University.
While North Korea's purchase of the Su-57 is unlikely, military cooperation between Russia and North Korea threatens the United States and South Korea. As a result, the West is trying to drive a wedge between China and Russia and North Korea.
But if China joins the equation, the political landscape in the Asia-Pacific region will change dramatically. Mao Ning's answer to the French reporter's provocation was both appropriate and ingenious, emphasizing the relationship between North Korea and Russia, as well as the friendship between China and North Korea.
In contrast, China's attitude toward the exchange of the United States, Japan, and South Korea is that it is happy to see it come to fruition, and there is no public opposition to it. Therefore, the United States and the West may feel even more helpless.