Mick Hartley

The disquiet felt by China over the sending of North Korean troops to Ukraine and the increased cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang is shown here in a couple of recent MEMRI TV clips from Chinese media commentators.

Chinese Media Personality Qiu Zhenhai:

When news broke that North Korea was sending its elite soldiers to fight alongside Russia against Ukraine, Chinese media collectively expressed shock and serious concerns. Many voiced worries that the close alliance between North Korea and Russia could diminish China's role in Korean Peninsula affairs, with some even suggesting that a "World War Three" could materialize soon.

In an October 21, 2024 video posted to Bilibili, well-known Chinese media personality Dr. Qiu Zhenhai candidly expressed his concerns about North Korea's actions. He suggested they stem from a desire to sustain its hermit regime and seek a "security guarantee" by strengthening military ties with Russia. This reflects the mutual disappointment both Russia and North Korea feel towards China.

From the outset, Mr. Qiu emphasized that the deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia could lead to future deterioration and tension in the region. He suggested that if Russia reciprocates in the future by sending regular army units and even nuclear weapons to support North Korea against South Korea, Japan, and the United States, it could lead to a "quasi-world war" on the Korean Peninsula. Such an outcome, Mr. Qiu believes, would be detrimental to China in every aspect. "It would harm China's national security," he further stressed, because China needs "peace and stability" in East Asia to foster its economic development. At the video's conclusion, he urged China to "prepare in advance."

Also:

In a recent viral video, which was posted to Xigua Video on October 21, 2024, by Zhang Bin’s Commentary, Zhang Bin, a prominent Chinese social media commentator with 2.3 million followers on the video platform, provided his analysis of the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia.

Mr. Zhang warned that this move could have serious implications for China. Not only could it strain China’s relations with North Korea, but it might also provide NATO members with a pretext to escalate their involvement in Ukraine, destabilizing Europe and undermining China's interests.

Furthermore, Mr. Zhang suggested that the strengthening military alliance between North Korea and Russia could heighten tensions in Asia, reinforcing U.S. efforts to establish a "mini-NATO" with Japan and South Korea.

Mr. Zhang expressed concern that if tensions on the Korean Peninsula spiraled out of control, China could find itself inadvertently drawn into conflict.