Opinion | Was Xi Jinping’s state visit to North Korea a reminder to the US that ‘big brother’ is always watching?

Mao Zedong once described the relationship between China and North Korea being “as close as lips and teeth”, while Pyongyang has often described itself as Beijing’s “little brother”. Brotherly love aside, the relationship between the two countries has not always been smooth, but there were no signs of any turbulence during Xi Jinping’s visit to Pyongyang this week.

The Chinese president’s trip came at a time of stagnant dialogue between Pyongyang and the United States (and South Korea). While the “war of words” between Washington and Pyongyang has not been resurrected, the latter’s frustrations at Washington’s refusal to lift sanctions have been made clear. The summits between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, in Singapore and Hanoi, achieved little progress on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, and Seoul’s role as a mediator has reduced in potency. Could Xi’s visit catalyse renewed dialogue?

Following Kim’s three trips to China in 2018, Xi’s state visit to Pyongyang was timely, marking the 70th anniversary of Sino-North Korean diplomatic relations. It was preceded by an article written by Xi, in North Korean party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, in which the Chinese leader pledged Beijing’s “firm support” for Pyongyang’s “new strategic line … no matter how the international situation changes”.

Even before the visit commenced, this was a stark warning to the US: should the tides turn against Pyongyang, Beijing would not hesitate to assist its little brother.

China is caught in a balancing act between maintaining its desires to be seen internationally as a responsible power and ensuring a stable North Korea. We should not expect its support for Pyongyang, both humanitarian and economic, to abate. By giving his backing to Kim’s “new strategic line”, which focuses on strengthening the economy, Xi hopes to dampen Kim’s nuclear ambitions and provocations.