American experts: The game between Moscow and Pyongyang is not in China's interest

2024-10-30 21:35:31, Kosova & Bota CNA

American experts: The game between Moscow and Pyongyang is not in China's

China's reaction to growing Russian influence over North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong Un, is likely to be a combination of "exasperation and panic" as Beijing appears to be losing control of its client, say former American policy and intelligence officials.

They note that the apparent security partnership between China's two neighbors, Russia and North Korea, could undermine China's strategic position in East Asia and has long-term complications that are not beneficial to China.

Russia's Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday that North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui will hold "strategic consultations" with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow after the United States, South Korea and NATO- they raised the alarm that Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to Russia.

US officials believe Russia intends to use North Korean soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. South Korea has condemned this as a strong threat to world security.

Chinese foreign policy chief Wang Yi held talks in Beijing on Wednesday with Russian foreign policy number two Andrei Rudenko. Mr. Wang reaffirmed the strong ties between the two countries. The officials exchanged views on Ukraine, but did not reveal details. Chinese officials have avoided direct comment on sending thousands of North Korean troops to Russia.

"China calls on all parties to reduce tensions and strive for a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine. This position remains unchanged," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Tuesday, reiterating Beijing's position.

China panic

"The silence in Beijing on this subject is shocking," said Dennis Wilder, a former senior official of the US intelligence agency, the CIA. Mr Wilder said Chinese President Xi Jinping was unlikely to say anything publicly as he faced an unpredictable Kim Jong Un.

"The Chinese have been very cautious about nuclear aid to Pyongyang, propping up that country's economy in spades so that North Korea remains stable. But if President Putin offers nuclear assistance to Pyongyang, it would strengthen American alliances in East Asia, perhaps creating a true NATO."

"The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, is in a very difficult position," Mr Wilder said on Tuesday during a meeting organized by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Mr. Wilder suggested that the United States could use channels of communication with Chinese intelligence for joint data collection and analysis.

Former top White House National Security Council official Victor Cha said that by sending troops, North Korea is making a "down payment" to Russia for a mutual security partnership, something Pyongyang could never secure from Beijing.

In China, he said, "There is probably a combination of irritation, panic and not knowing how to act in relation to the current situation."

"The panic is that now Russia has much more influence over North Korea than China," added expert Cha, who is currently president of the Department of Geopolitics and Foreign Policy at the CSIS organization.

The two experts, Wilder and Cha, served on the National Security Council during George W. Bush's time in the White House.

Language barriers

Other military analysts noted that while North Korean soldiers could gain real-world experience in combat operations in another country, they would also face major challenges.

"There's also a big language problem," said former colonel Mark Cancian, who served more than three decades with the US Marine Corps and is currently a senior adviser to the International Security Program at the CSIS organization.

He questioned how a North Korean group could be effectively integrated into a Russian military unit to communicate and operate together.

The possibility of Russia providing North Korea with ballistic missile, air defense and nuclear weapons technology is "probably the most dangerous scenario" from the American point of view, Mr. Cancian said.

Violation of the UN Security Council resolution

On Tuesday, US officials rejected the Russian Foreign Minister's assessment that military aid between Russia and North Korea does not violate international law.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Tuesday that "the training of North Korean soldiers by Russia, as well as any training or assistance in the use of ballistic or other weapons," is in direct violation of several UN Security Council resolutions. United Nations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced plans to exchange delegations to coordinate actions and exchange information regarding the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia. Kiev's special envoy to South Korea will begin talks with Seoul officials this week.

Officials in Washington said they would welcome increased Seoul support for Kiev.

The South Korean government has hinted it will consider sending "defensive and offensive weapons" and may also send military and intelligence personnel to Ukraine to analyze North Korea's war tactics and help interrogate North Koreans who may be captured on the battlefield.

"Of course, we welcome any country that supports our Ukrainian partners as they continue to protect their territorial integrity and sovereignty," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told VOA during a press conference.