A successful meeting between high-ranking North Korean and Chinese officials on Sunday prompted DPRK leader Kim Jong-Un to express his desire for improved long-term relations between the two nations. North Korea, commonly labeled as “the hermit kingdom” and with very little ties to the outside world, relies heavily on China as an economic and political ally, and seems to want further and more extensive bilateral cooperation. The visit of high ranking official Zhao Leji to Pyongyang marks the first time a Chinese diplomat has visited since 2018.

The friendly atmosphere of the meeting was echoed by both sides in public statements. According to Korean state media, Kim is looking forward to the “responsible progress and successful fruition of the Year of DPRK-China Friendship.” Kim was very appreciative of the large delegation sent by Chinese president Xi Jinping, a diplomatic choice usually indicative of the perceived importance and respect towards a relationship. Zhao Leji, the third-ranked official in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), apparently praised the historical ties between the two nations, but made no comment on the recent DPRK missile tests or the overall stability in the Korean peninsula.

The increasing cooperation between North Korea and China will be concerning to many, and especially to their direct rivals; the United States and South Korea. The DPRK recently fired several test missiles, a direct intimidation act towards South Korea, where various American military compounds are based. The CCP’s refusal to condemn or even comment on this act fits well into its overall strategy in the region; gaining more power and influence throughout Asia, in this case by making Kim Jong-Un’s regime dependent on Beijing. Indeed, 90% of North Korea’s trade is with China, who it greatly relies on for food and energy imports. Washington had previously hoped for China’s help to contain the DPRK’s reckless nuclear program and its tests, but that call for help seems to have been ignored.

Pyongyang and Beijing have had a long and complicated relationship. Chinese support for the DPRK and the continuous Kim regime began in the Korean War (1950-1953), as the North fought for unification against the American-backed Republic of Korea. Since the war, China has continued to give essential economic support to each supreme leader as the DPRK became more and more secluded from the outside world. In the 21st century, China began to become closer with the South and condemned nuclear tests on several occasions. However, Donald Trump’s cooperation with the North during his presidency catalyzed China to restore its former ties and rebuild the relationship to maintain its influence. Since then, China has shirked UN resolutions and policies towards North Korea.

North Korea’s continued nuclear tests should be cause for concern for the United States and South Korea, as they have been for many years. However, convincing China to change its stance and relationship towards the Kim regime should be the paramount goal for regional stability. Due its significant control of the DPRK’s essential imports, Beijing essentially keeps the totalitarian regime afloat and gives it a massive ally outside the border. It uses the North as a buffer zone between the Chinese mainland and the heavy American presence in the South. With the meeting between Kim and Zhao Leji this weekend, it will be important to keep an eye on how this relationship continues to develop.