
Bound by Strategy: China and North Korea’s Enduring Yet Delicate Alliance
Beijing’s mutual-defense treaty with Pyongyang is its only formal military alliance, kept alive by strategic necessity: China seeks stability and a contained North Korea to avoid refugee flows and regional turmoil, while Pyongyang pursues options and deepens ties with Russia; the two navigate a shifting balance of power as the US strengthens security ties with South Korea and Japan, all while Beijing aims to maintain influence without provoking instability on its doorstep.













