China and North Korea have joined hands and signed an agreement to jointly fight “hegemonism” and unilateral power politics, thereby making their stand more distinct from that of the U.S. in regard to the global power play. During their high-level meeting in Beijing, China’s Foreign Minister promised to increase cooperation on issues of common concern both regionally and internationally; on the other hand, North Korea’s minister pointed out China’s global governance projects as examples to be followed.
North Korea committed itself to following in step with China’s line of thought about the multipolar nature of the world, engaging in more than one-way cooperation and strengthening the common ground. The speech seemed to be carefully longing for open opposition to outsiders, showing comradeship based on the elected line of action.
Experts take this event as more than a simple show of force. They are changing their foreign policies on the basis of the narratives that they consider in the U.S. hegemony, though they are doing it subject to their own strategic reasons. China is actively seeking to tighten its relations with a close neighboring country to not only maintain its influence in Northeast Asia but also to offset the U.S. presence. Whereas North Korea, with the help of its close ties to Beijing, could reach out to the diplomatic arena, gain political control over the economy, and get relief from the Western blockade.
This reconfirmed mutualism also mirrors the ongoing shifts in the balance of power in the world. The leaders of China, Russia, and North Korea appeared together in a high-profile military parade, which many observers saw as a unified front against the U.S. authority, just a few weeks before.
The alliance between Beijing and Pyongyang might change the landscape in the neighborhood – particularly, how the third-party actors observe the Korean Peninsula. The more China-North Korea cooperation goes, the more the U.S., South Korea, Japan, and other regional actors’ reactions will be important to determine the next phase of strategic competition in East Asia.
