The news
China and North Korea celebrated 75 years of diplomatic ties and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation on Sunday. The leaders of the two countries praised China’s support for the hermit kingdom and promised “a new chapter” in bilateral ties, stressing the need to “steadily consolidate” their partnership.
The exchange of bonhomie comes at a time when the US and the West are raising alarm over what some say is a “axis of evil,involving growing military and economic cooperation between China, North Korea, Russia and Iran, fueling regional conflicts, including the war in Ukraine.
It would be wise not to overestimate the cohesion of the four countries, said a former US State Department official, emphasizing that their alliance “no ideological unitybut convenience.” China does reluctant to form an explicit anti-Western allianceespecially as Europe and the US remain key economic markets, some analysts noted, although others believe the threat remains regardless.
