On the occasion of North Korea's 77th National Day, a message of congratulations from China arrived as expected. Notably, Kim Jong-un published the entire text of the Chinese message verbatim in the newspaper. This unusual diplomatic move reveals Kim Jong-un's political considerations.

North Korean National Day Activities

Recently, according to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, received a message of congratulations from China on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of North Korea's National Day. The message emphasized the determination to develop the friendly relations between the two countries and strengthen strategic cooperation, and mentioned that the leaders of China and North Korea "jointly planned the development blueprint for both countries" during the military parade. These few sentences have raised the Sino-North Korean relationship to an unprecedented strategic height.

Notably, Kim Jong-un published the entire text of the Chinese message verbatim in the "Rodong Sinmun" and placed it on the front page. Moreover, it was released through the Korean Central News Agency. Generally, the content of messages between state leaders is considered political secrets, and only key information is usually released after being summarized.

Kim Jong-un Attending an Event

This move by Kim Jong-un has gone far beyond usual diplomatic etiquette. Choosing to publicly release the Chinese message in full must have had strategic intentions from the North Korean side. First, this emphasizes the particularity of the Sino-North Korean relationship and confirms its strategic importance. As is well known, Western media have been spreading rumors and slandering the Sino-North Korean relationship in recent years.

Last year, on the occasion of North Korea's National Day, China sent a congratulatory letter as per convention, but it still faced criticism from Western media. French media even claimed that the Chinese message not only did not indicate any improvement in Sino-North Korean relations, but also "confirmed the cooling of the relationship between the two countries." However, Western media provided no evidence to support this groundless conclusion.

With the continued warming of Russia-North Korea relations, Western media often compare the two, trying to disrupt the normal development of Sino-North Korean and Sino-Russian relations. In such a complex international environment, Kim Jong-un openly releasing the message made it difficult for the West to speak out. The strategic cooperation between China and North Korea will not change due to a few cold remarks from the West.

Kim Jong-un Entering the Venue

Moreover, the timing of the public release of the message was highly significant, coinciding with Kim Jong-un's attendance at the Chinese September 3rd military parade shortly before. Kim Jong-un visited China again after nearly seven years, staying for a record duration, and solemnly promised in China, "No matter how the international situation changes, the friendship between China and North Korea will not change." This high-profile statement resonates with the public release of the message, not only showing to China but also to the world.

The "Rodong Sinmun," as the official newspaper of the Workers' Party of North Korea, has strong political symbolic significance in its choice of front-page content. By publishing the entire text of the Chinese message in such an important position, the North Korean authorities indicated their intention to send a signal to the domestic population that the regime is recognized internationally.

At the same time, by publicly displaying the close relationship with China, North Korea sends a clear signal to the United States that, even under U.S. pressure, North Korea has a reliable major power to cooperate with and will not easily compromise on core interests.

Putin and Kim Jong-un

As is well known, due to U.S. sanctions and North Korea's own reasons, the North Korean government has long been in an "isolated" state in diplomacy. However, recently, North Korea has shown different actions. First, Kim Jong-un attended the September 3rd military parade, a multilateral diplomatic event, and then South Korean media reported that North Korea may send a higher-level representative to attend this month's United Nations General Assembly.

All these indicate that North Korea may be changing its diplomatic strategy, enhancing its international voice and influence. Therefore, Kim Jong-un's unusual act is just the first step; North Korea's performance on the multilateral stage has only just begun.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7547984769972208180/

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