China has said it will pursue closer ties with North Korea, following a reignition of trade tensions with the U.S.
On Saturday, the Chinese government announced that it is willing to work with North Korea to “explore the potential for practical cooperation and add more impetus to the development and construction of the two countries,” per a report from state news agency Xinhua.
Why It Matters
The agreement to strengthen the already robust political and economic bonds between the two nations comes amid new threats of tariffs from President Donald Trump that have weakened the prospect of a deal that could see an end to the simmering trade war between the U.S. and China.
During previous periods of friction, Beijing has stressed its intention to resist Washington’s “bullying,” while underscoring the need to deepen trade links with its existing international partners. China has already vowed to respond to the additional 100 percent tariff threatened by Trump—in response to its own recent curb on rare earth exports—with “resolute” countermeasures to “safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”
What To Know
According to Saturday’s announcement, China and North Korea reached a series of agreements on “deepening relations between the two parties and two countries.” The statement followed a meeting in Pyongyang between Chinese Premier Li Qiang, head of the State Council and second-in-command to Xi Jinping, and North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song.
“As the international situation is undergoing profound changes, both sides should unite and cooperate more closely to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of China and the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea—the official name of North Korea], and maintain international fairness and justice,” Li said, according to Xinhua.
Last month, Chinese President Xi had met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a military parade celebrating China’s victory over Japan in World War II, at which Russian President Vladimir Putin was also present.
On Saturday, Li said that this meeting had “provided strategic guidance and injected strong impetus into the development of relations between the DPRK and China.”
According to North Korean media, Xi recently sent a letter to Kim in which he similarly voiced support for deepening ties between the two countries.
“We have an intent to successfully defend, consolidate and develop the China-Korea relations together with Korean comrades and propel the long-lasting and stable development of the socialist cause of the two countries,” the letter read, according to Reuters.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, responding to new Chinese export controls on Friday, wrote: “Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only for the U.S.A., and not other Nations who were similarly threatened, starting November 1st, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying. Also on November 1st, we will impose Export Controls on any and all critical software.”
China’s Commerce Ministry, in a post to X on Saturday, said: “Willful threats of high tariffs are not the right way to get along with China. China’s position on the trade war is consistent: we do not want it, but we are not afraid of it. China urges the U.S. to promptly correct its wrong practices, adhere to the important consensuses of the phone calls between the two heads of state, protect the hard-won outcomes of consultations, continue to use the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism, and address respective concerns and properly manage differences through dialogues and on the basis of mutual respect and equal-footed consultation, so as to ensure the stable, sound and sustainable development of the China-U.S. economic and trade relationship.”
What Happens Next
Trump and Xi were scheduled to meet later this month, but recent events have cast doubt on this. On Friday, the president wrote on Truth Social that there “seems to be no reason” to meet with his counterpart, but told reporters he would still attend the meeting “regardless.”
