On the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and The Democratic People’s Republic of  Korea (DPRK), the presidents of both countries vowed to enhance their bilateral cooperation. President Xi Jinping said that the PRC was ready to continue to “write a new chapter” of relations through strengthened communications and cooperation. Such action signs to the world that both countries are committed to each other.

“I attach great importance to the development of the China-DPRK relations,” PRC President Xi Jinping said in his message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, using its initials.

The North Korean leader responded to Xi’s message, pledging to “steadily strive to consolidate and develop the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and the PRC as required by the new era”.

With North Korea poised to change its constitution to renounce its longstanding objective of peaceful unification with the South and redefine the inter-Korean border, experts have said that tensions on the peninsula could escalate and create more problems. In this context, such a commitment to China may create more concerns among the international community, considering China’s military and economic power.

The partnership between both countries dates back to the Korean War (1950-1953) when China intervened to support North Korea against South Korean and UN forces. Such an event resulted in the formation of a divided territory, formed by North and South Korea. After that, the North Korean and China’s relationship was enhanced throughout the years, especially economically. Today, China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and plays a crucial role in the region.

Despite that, it is important to highlight that China reacted guardedly and kept a certain distance when the North Korean leader deepened ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin in June. This sends a sign to the international community that even though China is enhancing its relationship with North Korea, the country still has some reservations and acts cautiously considering its political interests and possible interpretations by other countries around the globe. As Tong Zhao of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace affirms, “China is also careful not to create the perception of a de facto alliance among Beijing, Moscow, and Pyongyang, as this will not be helpful for China to maintain practical cooperation with key Western countries.”

As tensions in the region escalate, the international community anxiously awaits to see what the “new chapter” of China-North Korea relations will look like in practice. New dynamics of cooperation have the potential to shake the geopolitical landscape and increase concerns regarding peace and stability in the region, especially if they take the form of a military commitment. At last, the future of China-North Korea relations will be closely watched, as both countries navigate their bilateral cooperation while responding to the broader dynamics of international politics.