Opinion | As China’s leverage on North Korea slips, it’s time for a new approach

The country most impacted by the fallout from the treaty between Russia and North Korea is China. North Korea’s supply of military aid to Russia has put China’s diplomatic front on high alert. In a severe setback, China’s leverage over North Korea has begun to wane, leading to fractures in their bilateral relationship.

Additionally, there is concern that China could fall into a kind of alliance entrapment if North Korea and Russia engage in joint military action. Even if relations between North Korea and China deteriorate, the North Korea-China-Russia trilateral system is likely to come into play during a conflict, potentially reverting the region to a dark period.

The close alignment between North Korea and Russia is also detrimental to China due to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (Nato) swift expansion into Asia. The Nato-IP4 security alignment has led to the creation of a robust maritime military network in the Indo-Pacific region. China’s maritime security zone has become a potentially perilous area.

It’s likely that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not foresee that his war in Ukraine would cast such ominous shadows over Asia, and especially China. This situation underscores the lesson that many wars stem from political leaders’ misperceptions and misjudgments.

From this viewpoint, China’s discomfort with the North Korea-Russia alignment is evident. China is understandably concerned about Kim Jong-un’s willingness to get involved in Putin’s risky war ventures. This highlights the urgent need for China to transition its North Korean strategy from defensive engagement to a more assertive approach.