North Korea and China must team up to take on ‘common US threat in Asia-Pacific’

Pyongyang’s ambassador in Beijing says Washington’s military exercises are being used to tighten its encirclement of China
As long as US troops stay in South Korea, the problem will not be eliminated, he says

North Korea

Teddy Ng

Published: 7:00pm, 14 Aug 2021

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The United States is a threat to both China and North Korea and the two neighbours need to step up cooperation to tackle it, according to Pyongyang’s envoy to Beijing.

North Korean ambassador Ri Ryong-nam said US military exercises in the region, including those with South Korea, were being used to tighten Washington’s military bonds with its allies and further strengthen its strategic encirclement against China, Chinese tabloid Global Times reported on Saturday.

“It’s not difficult to see that the US will strengthen its military activities against the Asia-Pacific countries including China. The US is the common threat to North Korea and China, and the two countries should deal with it by strengthening their cooperation,” Ri was quoted as saying.

South Korea’s new submarine brings North Korean, Chinese bases within range

The US is mounting a range of drills with its allies in the Indo-Pacific region, moves seen as targeting China.

The United States and South Korea began a preliminary military training drill on Tuesday ahead of their annual summer exercise next week.

Ri said the US-South Korean exercises were a signal of US hostility towards the North.

“It’s unwelcome and they will definitely pay the price for that,” he was quoted as saying in the report.

The drills are a rehearsal for war, with the purpose of launching pre-emptive strikes against Pyongyang, he added.

“The current situation proves that North Korea’s decision to strengthen its national defence is an absolutely correct and legitimate measure,” Ri said.

“As long as US troops stay in South Korea, the problem ... will not be eliminated.”

Pyongyang would not sit and watch the various threats from the US. Instead, it would strengthen its absolute deterrence to crush the increasing military threat from the US, Ri said.

01:27

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un describes nation’s food situation as ‘tense’

In an address to an online Asean foreign ministers forum last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the US-South Korean exercises would undermine efforts to resolve tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Wang also said sanctions imposed on the North should be lifted because the North had already stopped nuclear and long-range missile tests.

The two Koreas have also reconnected a communication hotline cut by Pyongyang a year ago, an apparent attempt by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in to repair damaged ties.

Chinese analysts said the North agreed to resume the hotline because it needed food aid from both the South and China as it battled the Covid-19 pandemic.

Trade between China and North Korea hit a record low in the first half of the year as the pandemic and food shortages took their toll.

China’s exports to North Korea fell by 85.2 per cent year on year to US$56.77 million in the first six months of 2021.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: North Korea seeks China cooperation on US ‘threat’