The U.S. Discusses Military Cooperation Between Russia and North Korea with China

On Friday, March 4, the U.S. State Department announced that a senior U.S. official on North Korea had a call this week with China's representative on the Korean Peninsula, discussing the growing military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. The department stated that Jung Pak, the senior U.S. official on North Korea, and his Chinese counterpart, Liu Xiaoming, also talked about the 'increasingly destabilizing behavior of North Korea.' The statement noted that the increasing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea 'violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.' Russia has long been subject to UN sanctions against North Korea due to its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons program, but has increased its relations with Pyongyang since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The United States has accused North Korea of supplying artillery and long-range missiles to Russia, which Moscow is using in its war against Ukraine. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied these allegations but committed last year to deepen their military ties. The U.S. State Department said this call occurred after a meeting on February 16 between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Munich, where they affirmed 'the importance of continuing communications on North Korea issues at all levels.' The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted a Russian limousine to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. On Friday, March 4, U.S. President Joe Biden announced more than 500 new sanctions against Russia, coinciding with the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the death of Alexei Navalny, Putin's most prominent opponent, one of which targets the Russian limousine manufacturer. The U.S. President also noted the resilience of the Ukrainian people in defending against the Russian invasion, stating, 'However, their ammunition is running out. Ukraine needs more supplies from the United States to counter the relentless Russian attacks, which are made possible with weapons and ammunition from Iran and North Korea.' The new sanctions and trade restrictions also target Chinese companies that the U.S. claims are aiding Russia's war in Ukraine. U.S.-China relations, which had reached their lowest point in decades, have shown signs of improvement in recent months with actions such as the re-establishment of communication channels. However, many friction points remain, including U.S. sanctions against China over security and human rights issues. China stated that Wang told Blinken in Munich that these sanctions should be lifted. Bonnie Jenkins, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, said on Thursday at an event that Washington is eager for further negotiations with China on strategic stability and crisis management, emphasizing that a more aggressive North Korea is not in Beijing's interest. He expressed belief that North Korea, which shares a border with China, is eager to acquire fighter jets, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, equipment or materials for producing ballistic missiles, and other advanced technologies in its cooperation with Russia.