Opinion | Execution of Kim's uncle a signal for Beijing to get tough with North Korea

The swift and unusually public manner in which Kim Jong-un's uncle was deposed and executed last week shocked a world that long ago thought it had seen it all from the unpredictable and brutal North Korean regime.

But the demise of Jang Song-thaek - the country's second most powerful official and a mentor to Kim - in just four days would not surprise those familiar with the turbulent history of the Chinese Communist Party and its feudal predecessors.

Moreover, Jang's execution has provided more evidence about Beijing's increasingly complex relationship with Pyongyang, highlighting its limited influence over the dynastic regime, even though the Kim family largely relies on Beijing's support to survive.

According to a statement released by the North Korean government, Jang plotted to overthrow the Kim dynasty and betrayed the trust of the leader, his father and his grandfather.

Calling him a sinner and "worse than a dog", the statement even accused Jang of displaying his disloyalty by showing little enthusiasm while clapping his hands after a speech by Kim.

The choice of the words will have reminded mainlanders of similar denouncements of past Chinese leaders including Liu Shaoqi and Lin Biao, who were each once the country's second most powerful officials before being purged by Mao Zedong.