China appears to be keeping its distance as Russia and North Korea move closer to each other with a new defense pact that could tilt the balance of power.
With no obvious options, China appears to be keeping its distance as Russia and North Korea move closer to each other with a new defense pact that could tilt the balance of power among the three authoritarian states. Experts say China's leaders are likely fretting over potential loss of influence over North Korea after its leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the deal this week, and how that could increase instability on the Korean Peninsula.
The Chinese response has been 'very weak,' said Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, adding that it could be a sign that Beijing doesn't yet know what to do. 'Every option is a bad option,' he said. 'You’re either unable to make a decision because of very strongly held competing views or ... you’re just incapable of making a decision because you just don’t know how to evaluate the situation.
Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, declined to comment on the new agreement. 'The cooperation between Russia and the DPRK is a matter between two sovereign states. We do not have information on the relevant matter,' he said, referring to North Korea by the initials for its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
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