Don't be fooled by the new China-North Korea love fest (opens in new tab)

vowing to elevate their ties to “new heights.” However, the summit reflected a marriage of convenience with clear limitations.The Xi-Kim summit was a meaningful indication that China-North Korea bilateral ties have returned to pre-COVID-19 levels. At the working level, China and North Korea have gradually expanded practical cooperation in areas such as trade, tourism, construction, and civilian exchanges, but leader-level meetings were put on pause. Xi’s trip to Pyongyang, alongside Kim’s tri...