Sino-NK

Image: Sino-NK

North Korea devoted far less coverage to China in May compared to April, as Japan – amid ongoing modernisation of its defence – repeatedly found itself targeted by Chinese state and party media coverage which DPRK outlets including the Rodong Sinmun amplified. The escalation of North Korean media condemnation of Japan mirrored a rising war of words between Beijing and Tokyo amid growing military assertiveness by Japan in Northeast Asia, which in turn has caused alarm and sharp criticism in China, and in the DPRK.

With Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in North Korea from April 9 to 10, and President Xi Jinping making a first visit to the DPRK in seven years in June, by contrast there was no high-level China-DPRK diplomacy recorded in May, despite a recent surge in state and party contact between the two countries since last year. As such, North Korean media coverage of bilateral exchanges decreased in May, as negative reporting on the new Japanese government escalated.

Criticism of Japan continued from the start of May, with Rodong Sinmun quoting the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s condemnation of Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae amid an escalating war of words between Beijing and Tokyo over Taiwan. After Takaichi had spoken of a “survival threatening situation” for Japan in the event of a Chinese invasion of the island, she then stated that Japan should prepare for a “protracted conflict”, provoking condemnation from Beijing, and Pyongyang (일본수상의 망발을 규탄/ Condemning the Japanese prime minister’s outrageous remarks).

A week later, Rodong Sinmun again quoted Chinese criticism towards Tokyo after Japan’s first overseas launch of an offensive missile since World War II during joint military exercises in the Philippines. China said the launch reflected “accelerating remilitarisation and a departure from Japan’s postwar self-defence principles”, and a form of historical revisionism that threatened regional peace and stability, as reproduced in the DPRK’s official party newspaper (일본이 경외에서 공격형미싸일을 발사한데 대해 규탄/ Condemning Japan for launching offensive missiles from afar).

Days later, after China’s release of a full Chinese translation of the Tokyo Trials following Japan’s defeat in the Pacific War in 1945, Rodong Sinmun again quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry in its criticism of Tokyo. The newspaper said the newly translated records of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East demonstrated the extent of Japanese wartime aggression. The article also criticised Japanese “right-wing groups” for glorifying or minimising Japan’s wartime record, and demanded the international community oppose “historical revisionism” and prevent a “resurgence of Japanese militarism” (일본의 《신군국주의》망동을 저지시킬것을 주장/Calling for a halt to Japan’s reckless “neo-militaristic” actions).

Japan’s claims that its defence-oriented policy remains unchanged provoked a sharp response from China’s Foreign Ministry, which argued that Japan has expanded military spending, eased restrictions on arms exports, and has more actively pursued military exercises, and the deployment of long-range missiles, a position again echoed in the Rodong Sinmun (일본의 재군사화책동 규탄배격/ Condemning and rejecting Japan’s moves toward remilitarization).

The US came in for notably less criticism than Japan in DPRK coverage in May, with negative reporting of policy from Washington DC almost entirely coupled with that of Tokyo. In one such example, the Rodong Sinmun equated the issue of US sanctions on Chinese firms involved in oil trade with Iran, and Beijing’s efforts to oppose such measures, with Chinese criticism of Japan’s expanding militarism and failure to acknowledge its wartime past (자국기업들에 대한 미국의 제재를 차단시키는 금지령 발표, 일본의 군국주의부활책동을 단죄/ Announcement of a ban blocking US sanctions against domestic companies; condemnation of Japan’s moves to revive militarism).

The DPRK’s main party newspaper also criticised Japan and the US over their collaborations on defence in the Asia-Pacific region: Firstly, amid plans by the US to deploy its Typhoon intermediate-range missile system in Japan (일본에 대한 미국의 중거리미싸일배비책동을 비난/ Condemning US moves to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Japan); and over “interference” in China’s internal affairs by supporting Taiwan rather than rejecting its independence movement (서방의 도발책동에 강경대응하는 중국/ China takes hardline response to Western provocative actions).

The only instance in which North Korean news media criticised the US without mention of Japan was a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, published in the Rodong Sinmun on 31 May, that the US should handle Taiwan-related issues with “caution” as Beijing considers Taiwan to be an internal matter (대만문제에 대한 원칙적립장 강조/ Emphasising a principled stance on the Taiwan issue).

Concern over Japan’s defence modernisation under Takaichi has become a feature of state and party media coverage in both China and North Korea in recent months. The extent of North Korea’s emphasis of the Chinese position also indicates that, regardless of any differences between Beijing and Pyongyang, the two countries retain similar discomfort with the idea of Japan re-arming to a degree which surpasses shared negative sentiment over US actions in the region.

Israel

North Korean media continued its disapproval of Israeli actions in May, albeit at a level below that reserved for Japan. On 19 May, Rodong Sinmun reported on how Palestinians have spent decades seeking legitimate rights, while facing ongoing injustice, quoting China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. The report cited the Chinese diplomat’s criticism of Israel’s military actions, settlement expansion, and restrictions on humanitarian aid. It also further emphasised China’s position on a two-state solution and support for ending settlement construction and occupation (팔레스티나 문제에 대해 언급/ Mentioning the Palestine issue). Although the North Korean newspaper did not name the diplomat in question, Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, has made similar remarks during his tenure, including in his 15 May commemoration of Nakba (‘catastrophe’ in Arabic), the Palestinian term for the expulsion of more than 750,000 Arabs from territory claimed by Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

North Korea’s main party newspaper, on 26 May, also quoted China’s permanent representative to the United Nations calling for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza during a UN Security Council meeting on the conflict (again without naming the diplomat, in this case Fu Cong). The article reiterated China’s position that the two-state solution is the only viable path to resolving the Palestine issue, and expressed Beijing’s opposition to any unilateral actions that might undermine that framework (가자지대에서 항구적인 정화를 실현할것을 주장/ Calling for the realisation of a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip).

While not a priority for either the DPRK or China on par with Japan’s recent military advancements, it appears that both countries continues to see Israel’s actions in the Middle East as destabilising, or at least a worthwhile topic to keep in their respective media given Israel’s longtime partnership with the US. North Korea, which has long-running connections with both Hamas and Hezbollah, remains content to echo Chinese sentiment on Israel and Palestine.

China

North Korean state and party press otherwise continued to focus on internal developments in China, demonstrating support for its neighbour on a host of issues, some with geopolitical resonance.

The Rodong Sinmun on 20 May reported China’s strengthened intellectual property protection efforts, including measures to enhance copyright protections for literary works, and planned enforcement actions against IP violations in emerging industries and the e-commerce sector (사회적발전과 진보를 위하여/ For social development and progress).

In another report, North Korea’s main party newspaper covered China’s successful launch of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on 24 May (중국에서 유인우주비행선 발사/ China launches manned spacecraft). Both articles indicate North Korea’s keen interest in China’s development as a tech and business powerhouse.

Otherwise, Rodong Sinmun covered the magnitude 5.2 earthquake in Guangxi on 18 May, which killed two people (지진/ Earthquake), and on 22 May published an article covering widespread flooding and landslides across China which killed more than a dozen people and affected hundreds of thousands more (극심한 폭우로 인해, 재해 경보 발령/ Disaster warning issued due to torrential rain).

The Rodong Sinmun covered what might be perceived as a negative, man-made event in China, a coal mine explosion on 22 May in Shenyuan County, Shanxi province, due to carbon monoxide buildup (중국 산서성에서 탄광폭발사고 발생/ Coal mine explosion occurs in Shanxi province, China). This was, however, an opportunity for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to send a message of condolence to Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping (경애하는 김정은동지께서 중국공산당 중앙위원회 총서기, 중화인민공화국 주석에게 위문전문을 보내시였다/ The respected Comrade Kim Jong-un sent a message of sympathy to the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People’s Republic of China).

The continuation of high-level political pleasantries in DPRK news media, coordination on messaging on Japan, the US and Israel, as well as a lack of negative sentiment detected in relation to China, demonstrated that Sino-DPRK remain on a positive track from the point of view of Pyongyang.