China-North Korea relations strained over border transmission plans

The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that North Korea has voiced opposition and criticism regarding China's plans to install broadcasting equipment near the border. It noted that relations between the two countries, which are also allies of Russia, do not seem "normal."

Following serious setbacks in Russia's offensive in Ukraine, the Kremlin has sought to strengthen cooperation primarily with China but also with North Korea. Beijing has partially replaced Western suppliers for Russians who abandoned the market due to sanctions, while Pyongyang (unofficially) supports Vladimir Putin with military equipment supplies.

Although there has been a revival of relations between Russia, North Korea, and China, similar phenomena are not occurring between Kim Jong Un's and Xi Jinping's regimes, according to media reports.

The conflict reported by Kyodo on Sunday came to light when the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) based in Geneva shared information in June about China’s plans to build 191 telecommunications stations, which would broadcast FM signals, including at least 17 near the border with North Korea.

Pyongyang authorities emphasised in an email that Beijing "has never asked for prior consultation" regarding the installations, Kyodo reported. The newspaper assessed that "it is a sign that two countries long known for close economic ties may be facing bilateral communication problems."

The South Korean regime also stated that building transmitters without prior agreement would constitute a "violation" of ITU guidelines and a bilateral agreement signed in 1981, the details of which remain unknown. Additionally, the stations in Dandong, a border town in northeastern China, could cause "serious disruptions."

Atsuhito Isozaki, an expert on North Korean politics, told the Japanese agency that "it is a rare instance of revealing a conflict between China and North Korea", adding that possible signs of deteriorating relations could also be observed in the government newspaper "Rodong Sinmun".

Isozaki pointed out that for months the newspaper has not mentioned the Chinese leader Xi Jinping nor the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations, indicating that the current state of relations does not seem "normal".

In July, the South Korean Ministry for Unification also reported that North Korea transferred the transmission of the state television signal from a Chinese satellite to a Russian satellite.

Kyodo reminds readers that Pyongyang has been striving to strengthen ties with Russia since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, particularly in the defence sector. Among other activities, Pyongyang signed a strategic partnership treaty in June, which, according to diplomatic sources in Beijing, was not well received by China.

The regime of Kim Jong Un, according to South Korean authorities, has delivered at least 10,000 containers of arms to Moscow, including up to 4.8 million artillery shells similar to those used by Putin during the bombing of Ukraine.