Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) sent a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, congratulating him on his election as ruling party chairman at a congress at which Beijing — Pyongyang’s closest ally — was notably absent.
In his message, Xi described ties with North Korea as a “precious asset” that was personally “cultivated by the leaders of the elder generation” the Korean Central News Agency said yesterday.
That there was no Chinese representation at the once-in-a-generation gathering has been viewed by some commentators as a sign of fraying ties between the two traditional allies.
A large Chinese delegation had attended the last Workers’ Party congress in 1980, headed by Li Xiannian (李先念), who later became China’s president.
Beijing has been a key diplomatic protector of North Korea, providing an economic lifeline that has allowed it to ride out waves of international sanctions.
However, the relationship between the two nations, once said to be as close as lips and teeth, has become increasingly strained as China’s patience with the North’s refusal to rein in its nuclear weapons ambitions has worn increasingly thin.
China approved the latest raft of UN sanctions — the toughest to date — that were imposed after the North’s January nuclear test, and there are signs that it is implementing the measures.
However, China is wary of pushing the North too far, fearing a regime collapse that could create a refugee crisis on its border and swing the regional balance of power towards the US.
“The Chinese party and government attach great importance to the Sino-DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] relations,” Xi said in his message. “We will make efforts together with the DPRK side to bring happiness to the two countries and their peoples.”
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