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Edited by^W.n
Preliminary
Before China's high-level visit to North Korea, South Korea's foreign minister initially called the phone, what did China and South Korea talk about?
According to comprehensive media reports such as Xinhua News Agency, at present, China, Russia, Vietnam and Laos have confirmed that they will attend the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party held in North Korea, and the attendance specifications are quite high. Among them, Vietnam and Laos are led by the top leaders, Russia is led by Medvedev, and Chinese senior officials will also personally attend and visit North Korea. Such a grand occasion has broken the diplomatic dilemma of North Korea in recent years.
In March 2025, the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Labour Party entered a turnaround.This event was viewed by the outside world as the "Corean diplomatic siege" event, and was noticed by the presence of the highest specialized delegations of China, Russia, Vietnam and the old four countries.
Vietnamese President Surin, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the People's Revolutionary Party of Laos, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Medvedev, and senior Chinese officials will visit Pyongyang, setting the highest record of North Korea's diplomatic activities in recent years.
Just 72 hours before the Chinese special plane took off, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Dui-lye suddenly called China State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Behind this unexpected call, it reflected the deep game of the situation on the peninsula.
The symbolic significance of the gathering of leaders from the four countries in Pyongyang
The delegation led by Vietnamese President Sulin continued the "Vietnam Special Relations" established in the era of Ho Chi Minh.Vietnam's trade in 2024 reached $32 billion, an increase of 18% compared to the same year, and Hanoi expressed its "support for North Korea's development of an independent economic path."
The Lao delegation is led by General Secretary Thongloun. This landlocked country with a per capita GDP of less than US$3000 insisted on voting against North Korea at the United Nations Human Rights Council, highlighting the traditional friendship between socialist countries.
Mr. Medvedev brought a personal letter from Mr. Putin, saying that the Russian-Russian relations have been upgraded from a "traditional friendship" to a "comprehensive strategic partnership".In January 2025, the two sides signed the "Russian-Russian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty", which stipulates that "one side will provide military assistance when the other is under aggression."
The Russian Gas Industry Corporation has launched the "Siberian Force-3" gas pipeline project, which, if completed, will radically change the energy pattern in Northeast Asia.
China's senior officials again visited the DPRK five years later, coinciding with the US-Japan-Korea joint military exercises "Liberty Butt."The Chinese delegation's journey includes a visit to the Pyongyang metro expansion project, the Kim Jong-un comprehensive university's artificial intelligence laboratory and other people's livelihoods projects, releasing a clear signal of "supporting the development of North Korea's economy."
It is worth noting that the Chinese special aircraft will land for the first time on the newly built "Subject Idea International Airport", which is equipped with the Russian S-400 air defense system, highlighting the depth of North-Russian military cooperation.
The three major demands of South Korea
During the call, Zhao Duilie highlighted the economic cooperation projects between the ROK and the DPRK. Since negotiations to restart the Kaesong Industrial Park stalled in 2024, data from South Korea's Unification Ministry showed that North Korea's entrepot trade volume through third countries increased by 47% year-on-year, showing that it has established channels to bypass sanctions.
The ROK put forward a "three-stage restart plan": first resume tourism in Mount Kumgang, then restart Kaesong Park, and finally discuss the railway connection project. However, the DPRK asked the ROK to lift the "5.24 measures" (prohibiting new investment in the DPRK) first, and there were significant differences between the two sides.
Just 48 hours before the call, North Korea successfully tested the "Mars-19" type intercontinental ballistic missile, which uses high-speed ultrasonic slip technology, can cover the entire territory of the United States.
The trajectory data provided by the ROK shows that the missile "maneuvers laterally" at an altitude of 3,000 kilometers, breaking through the interception capability of the existing anti-missile system. Zhao Duilie stressed that "such actions aggravate regional tensions" and asked the DPRK to suspend its nuclear activities. In response, the Korean Central News Agency commented that "nuclear deterrence is the legitimate right of sovereign countries".
South Korea proposed to hold its 24th dispersed family reunification event in April, the first since 2020, but the North Korean Red Cross called on South Korea to first release “the detained North Korean fishermen” and pay a “management fee” of $5,000 per person.
There are currently 12 North Korean citizens in South Korea, while there are only three South Korean personnel in North Korea, this asymmetry has put the negotiations into a standstill.
A clear expression of China's position
Wang Yi clearly pointed out that the recent "Blade of Freedom" joint military performance held by the United States, Japan and South Korea used strategic weapons such as F-35B stealth fighters and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, and set up a "no-flight zone" in the western waters of the Korean Peninsula. This "show of force" is contrary to the spirit of the Korean Armistice Agreement.
China demands that stakeholders immediately stop deploying strategic assets around the Korean Peninsula and withdraw the already deployed THAAD missile defense system.The data show that in the first quarter of 2025, U.S. strategic bombers increased the frequency of air activity over the peninsula by 65 percent.
China has put forward a "two-track" plan: resuming the high-level talks between the DPRK and the ROK and restarting the six-party talks.
Wang emphasized in particular that the United States should cancel its "hostile policy" against the DPRK, including the lifting of some of the sanctions and removing the DPRK from the "supporting terrorist countries" list.
In response to Japan's plan to deploy the Aegis shore-based anti-missile system on Kyushu Island, Wang Yi warned that this move would undermine the regional strategic balance.
China proposes the establishment of a "North-East Asia Security Dialogue Mechanism", which members include China, Russia, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan, regularly report on military moves.
Variables in the peninsula pattern
During this visit, China and the DPRK are expected to sign the Economic Cooperation Plan 2025-2030, covering infrastructure construction, energy development, agricultural technology and other fields. China promised to provide 500,000 tons of food aid to North Korea and help build a fertilizer plant with an annual output of 300,000 tons.
What is more noteworthy is that China will open the cross-border economic cooperation zone from Dandong to Sinuiju and try out the policy of "72-hour visa-free for personnel exchanges".
In South Korea, differences between U.S. and U.S. policies have escalated, with the leader of the Communist Democratic Party (CDU) Li Keqiang publicly criticizing the Yongxiang government's "excessive reliance on U.S. security protection" and demanding the resumption of the "Sunshine Policy".
The poll showed that 47% of South Koreans supported developing economic relations with North Korea, up 12 percentage points compared to 2023. This change in public opinion forced Zhao in the conversation to consider the relationship with China and the US-Korean alliance.
Medvedev will sign the "Extension Agreement on Military Technical Cooperation" with North Korea during this trip. Russia agreed to provide North Korea with Su-35 fighter technology transfer and help upgrade Pyongyang's subway air defense system.
In exchange, North Korea would allow Russian naval ships to use the port of Rothschild, which is only 180 kilometers from Russian Vladivostok, significantly shortening the supply line for the Russian Pacific Fleet.
conclusion
The emergency call that took place before the departure of the Chinese special aircraft was a milestone of North Korea’s diplomatic breakthrough and a shortcut of the reorganization of the Northeast pattern.
When the special aircraft of the leaders of the four countries successively landed in Pyongyang, and when Wang Yi's three demands collided with Zhao's three major demands in the telephone line, the spring of the peninsula was giving birth to new possibilities.