Russia-North Korea pact is the price of China’s ‘strategic patience’

The strategic patience of the major global powers allowed North Korea to become a de facto nuclear-weapons state in the 2010s. Throughout, China merely observed.

02:44

Raising the stakes: How North Korea became a nuclear state

It neither leveraged North Korea in its so-called hegemonic competition with the United States nor infringed upon its sovereignty. Despite the other four parties’ desire to deter or dismantle North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, they were as ineffective as China.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that North Korea “has its own nuclear umbrella”. Russia has already reportedly provided North Korea with help related to missile delivery systems, and could potentially provide Pyongyang with nuclear-powered submarines, hypersonic missiles and fifth-generation fighter jets as well as assistance with its nuclear programme.

Economically and in terms of security interests, China is far more important to North Korea, but to Pyongyang, Russia has become crucial to its nuclear ambitions.

03:05

Putin, Kim sign ‘strongest ever’ defence treaty amid growing tensions with the West

Of the remaining four parties of the six-party talks, South Korea and Japan differ in their positions from the US and China, highlighting the divide between the nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states.

02:12

Tokyo residents take part in evacuation drills as North Korea steps up missile launches

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North Korea’s Kim Jong-un guides country’s 1st ‘nuclear trigger’ simulation drills

It seems naive that China could have failed to anticipate how North Korea’s nuclear capabilities would become a key variable in the instability of not just Northeast Asia but the Indo-Pacific region, and even globally. This oversight, which is inflicting