China | A discomforting deployment

North Korea’s aid to Russia raises difficult questions in China

Officials in Beijing fear they are losing leverage over their neighbours

Photograph: Reuters

Officials FROM China have avoided direct comment on North Korea’s despatch of thousands of troops to Russia, where they might help in a conflict that all three countries see as a contest against overweening American might. China itself is a crucial if undeclared backer of Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, providing technological support for Russia’s defence industries. But behind closed doors, Chinese officials may question North Korea’s move.

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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “When lips part ”

From the November 2nd 2024 edition

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