China re‑centers North Korea ties as nuclear silence reshapes balance

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Analysis China re‑centers North Korea ties as nuclear silence reshapes balance June 10, 20266:30 AM ET By Anthony Kuhn , Jennifer Pak In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Chinese President Xi Jinping (center left) shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (center right) during a welcome ceremony in Pyongyang on Monday. 朝鮮通信社/KCNA via KNS via AP hide caption toggle caption 朝鮮通信社/KCNA via KNS via AP SEOUL/SHANGHAI — The leaders of China and North Korea reaffirmed their alliance this week in Pyongyang, emphasizing strategic cooperation while avoiding public discussion of North Korea's nuclear weapons program. The two-day trip — President Xi Jinping's first to North Korea in nearly seven years — comes shortly after his summit with President Trump in Beijing, where the White House said both sides agreed on the shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea.

Beijing did not publicly echo Washington's claim. And this week in Pyongyang, Xi made no public mention of denuclearization. Instead, Xi focused on China's "firm commitment to safeguarding the shared interests of the two countries and preserving a favorable strategic environment," according to Chinese state media.

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Sponsor Message World, reordering Xi and Kim express hopes for greater ties between China and North Korea North Korea's state media, meanwhile, quoted leader Kim Jong Un as saying that ties with China are "the most important and primary strategic undertaking" of his country. This language suggests Kim is trying to balance his relationship with both Beijing and Moscow, elevating China's diplomatic significance after a period of closer alignment with Russia. China's silence over North Korea's nuclear program could also create a dilemma for itself Xi's silence on North Korea's nuclear program came as Kim tried to convince the world of the irreversibility of his country's status as a nuclear power.

Days earlier, Pyongyang unveiled a new nuclear bomb fuel plant. Kim also announced his plans to expand his country's nuclear arsenal "at an exponential rate. claims that a denuclearized Korean Peninsula is a shared goal with China.

But Beijing has not publicly confirmed such an agreement, and Kim's sister has dismissed the U. " World, reordering North Korea unveils a new plant to produce fuel for nuclear weapons Tong Zhao, a senior fellow of the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, says China's approach reflects its shift in priorities. "China appears to downplay the issue of North Korea's nuclear weapon program in order to prioritize improving bilateral relations ," says Zhao, adding that Beijing has made "a very significant policy change to tacitly accept the reality of a nuclear North Korea.

" But, he adds, this could also create a dilemma for Xi. allies like South Korea and Japan to strengthen their security relations with Washington," Zhao says.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.