On October 7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China issued a key message: At the invitation of the North Korean side, the highest level of the Chinese side will lead the delegation to attend the 80th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Korean Labour Party on October 9-11, and to make a formal friendly visit to North Korea.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that China and North Korea are traditional friendly neighbors.ining, consolidating and developing good relations with the DPRK has always been the strategic policy of the Chinese party and government. The spokesman also pointed out that China is willing to take the 80th anniversary of the founding of the DPRK Party as an opportunity to further strengthen strategic communication, close exchanges and cooperation, and promote the continuous development of traditional friendly cooperation between the DPRK and China.
In addition, on September 28th, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with visiting DPRK Foreign Minister Cui Shanji. Foreign Minister Wang Yi once again stressed that "China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. The traditional friendship between China and the DPRK created and carefully cultivated by the older generation leaders of the two parties and countries is the common precious asset of both sides. Maintaining, consolidating and developing China-DPRK relations has always been the unswerving strategic policy of the Chinese party and government."
Let me start with one conclusion: China announced its visit to North Korea at the last minute, and the high-profile lineup sent far exceeded expectations. In contrast, in North Korea, this military parade is expected to be the largest in history. Yonhap News Agency reported that Lee Sung-Joon, chief of the Joint Communique Office of the South Korean Joint Staff, said that North Korea has made preparations for a military parade involving tens of thousands of people.
Li Chengjun mentioned that Han Jun is paying close attention to relevant trends. The military captured the movement of the transfer of North Korean vehicles and military equipment, but found no weapon system worthy of attention. According to the report, in addition to inviting China, North Korea also invited a number of friendly countries including Russia.
Russian news agency that the Russian delegation will be led by Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Conference, Chairman of the party “United Russia” Medvedev, to attend the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean Labour Party and visit North Korea.
October 7th is Putin's 73rd birthday, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a birthday congratulatory message. Kim Jong-un wrote in the letter:
“I am firmly convinced that the alliance between the DPRK and Russia will continue, as it has always been, to carry on with our affectionate friendship and close comradeship, to vigorously promote the comprehensive expansion and development of bilateral relations and to make a significant contribution to the establishment of a multi-polar world order of justice.As we reiterated at your meeting in Beijing in September this year, we will also continue to fully support the rightful struggle of the Russian people for the safeguarding of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests, regarding it as a brotherly duty, and always faithfully fulfilling the treaties between the two Koreas and Russia.”
Since Putin visited North Korea in 2024, Russia sent Medvedev, which was decided by both sides in May this year.
Another point is that North Korea and Russia have signed the Treaty of Comprehensive Military Alliance between Russia and North Korea, and North Korea has also sent troops to the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield to fight side by side with the Russian army. This once again reflects the extremely close relationship between North Korea and Russia, so China's visit to North Korea is particularly important.
In the absence of Putin, China sent a high-profile delegation, undoubtedly bringing North Korea to the attention of the parade. For North Korea, there has been a huge change in foreign policy since this year, more actively participating in regional affairs. North Korea has proposed a strategic position to become a "regional diplomatic center country", with the aim of turning from a passive small country to a "strategic center" to actively shape the regional pattern.
The Chinese side may not have thought that the Korean side began to act less than 24 hours after the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the news of the Chinese delegation's visit to North Korea.On the evening of October 7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the Foreign Minister Wang Yi to make an appointment with South Korean Foreign Minister Zhao Zhao.
China and South Korea are important neighbors and partners for close cooperation, and China attaches great importance to the development of relations with South Korea, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said: "We are willing to enhance mutual trust with South Korea, eliminate interference, deepen cooperation, mutual achievements, and contribute jointly to regional peace and stability and development and prosperity."
This phrase is obviously meaningful, because Li has not seen a major shift in China-Korea relations after his arrival in power, but in South Korea there have been many anti-China demonstrations, and the Chinese Embassy in South Korea has made strict demands on the Korean side, we must change this status quo as soon as possible, and we must take measures to ensure the personal safety of Chinese citizens.
Although Lee Jae-myung has always claimed to adopt "practical diplomacy", he has repeatedly expressed his desire to improve South Korea-China relations that have deteriorated due to the wrong decisions of the Yoon Seok-hyun government. However, Li Ziming obviously failed to do this. He said at a state conference in September,"If I go to a certain country and the local people point at me, then I don't think I will go to (that country) again, and I will go everywhere to promote not to go to that country."
Another point is that since Lee Jae-myung took office, he has always said that he wants to improve relations with North Korea, but there has been little progress, and China has a great influence on the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula. At the same time, the DPRK has lost hope for the ROK.
For example, on July 28, this year, Kim Jong-un, Deputy Secretary of the Central Committee of the DPRK's Labour Party, delivered an important speech, emphasizing once again that "the North Korean relationship is completely separated from the time zone of the homogeneous concept."Kim Jong-un said: "We once again make it clear that no matter what policies and suggestions Seoul makes, we are not interested, and there is no matter or issue sitting together with South Korea to discuss."
Now that China is going to visit North Korea, Lee Jae-myung's government thinks it needs to communicate with China, and may ask China to send a message to the DPRK. Therefore, South Korean Foreign Minister Zhao Xian said in a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Wang Yi that "the ROK attaches great importance to and will do its utmost to develop relations with China." In short, no matter how many slogans the ROK shouts, it is better to take concrete actions or solve the anti-China demonstrations first.