Page 37 - Trilateral Korea Japan U.S. Cooperation

Especially, North Korea and China are enhancing their
cooperation at various levels.

• Focus on history of blood alliance: The Chinese Communist
Party’s third historical resolution brought attention to
the North Korea-China solidarity movement. The full
text of the resolution, which sought to bolster Xi Jinping’s
leadership for the long run, describes the Korean War as
a “great victory in resisting U.S. aggression and aiding
Korea,” noting that “the Chinese People’s Volunteers
crossed the Yalu River to fight shoulder to shoulder with the
North Korean people and military,” and boasting that they
“defeated the enemy armed to the teeth and made a majestic
16
presence.” This stands in stark contrast to the previous
position taken by Chinese People’s Daily editorials on the
Korean War every June 25th which maintained a certain
distance from North Korea.

• Support and backing in the international community: Xi
Jinping and Kim Jong-Un declared four principles of a
“new era North Korea-China relations” in 2018, reviving
ideological camp logic; by strengthening the North Korea-
China alliance, North Korea can improve its negotiating
power with the United States and find a way to break
through sanctions, while China can use it as leverage in
its strategic competition with the U.S. Consequently, the
North Korea denuclearization negotiations that began in

16 Taeju Kim and Gabyong Yang, “The Duality of North Korea-China Relations and North Korea’s Utilization
of China in the Era of US-China Strategic Competition,” INSS Strategic Report, No.209 (Seoul: Institute for
National Security Strategy, 2023), p.7.

36 Section I : North Korea-China Relations: How and Why Does Beijing Protect and Empower Pyongyang?