Stronger ties between Putin and Kim could see a ‘Cold War-like coalition’ form in northeast Asia

As the Russian and North Korean leaders meet, an expert has warned their closer collaboration could escalate confrontation with the West

It could also hamper efforts at denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula and make it difficult to build security and peace in the region

Reading Time:3 minutes

As Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un forge stronger ties, an expert has warned it could lead to confrontations with the West in northeast Asia. Photo: AP

Published: 11:02am, 14 Sep 2023Updated: 3:00pm, 14 Sep 2023

Strengthening ties between Russia and North Korea will escalate bloc confrontation in northeast Asia, a reputable Chinese think tank has said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s visit to Russia – his first international trip since the Covid-19 pandemic – is widely expected to see the two Cold War allies bolstering defence and economic cooperation amid sanctions by the West.

With Moscow desperately in need of a resupply of ammunition from Pyongyang due to its prolonged war in Ukraine, a potential arms trade between the two countries could revive a “Cold War-like coalition” which seeks to challenge the alliance between the US, Japan and South Korea in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a Chinese scholar from the Beijing-based China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR).

“The strengthening of bilateral relations between North Korea and Russia will have a profound impact on the regional and international situation,” Chen Xiangyang, director of CICIR’s Korean Peninsula Program, wrote in an article on the institute’s WeChat account.

“Northeast Asia will form a confrontational situation between the ‘quasi-alliance’ of the United States, Japan and South Korea and that of Russia and North Korea. It cannot be ruled out that hotspot issues may suddenly get out of control,” he said.

“It will become more difficult to restart the denuclearisation process on the Korean peninsula and build a security and peace mechanism in northeast Asia.”