China Urges De-Escalation in Ukraine Amid Reports of North Korean Troops

Chinese officials have told Newsweek that Beijing wants a deescalation of the Ukraine war amid concerns that North Korean troops could be deployed there within days.

The calls come after Pyongyang was found to be sending soldiers to assist in Russia’s invasion, with Ukraine’s President Zelensky claiming Friday that boots could be on the ground in Ukraine as soon as October 27.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III this week confirmed previous reports that North Korea had sent its troops to Russia, who he said could potentially become “co-belligerents” in the conflict alongside Moscow’s Armed Forces.

The comments could be taken as a warning to Pyongyang, whose newfound involvement in the European conflict and aggressive posturing toward its southern neighbor threatens to implicate its Indo-Pacific ally in two geopolitical crises.

“On the Ukraine crisis, China’s position is consistent and clear. We hope all parties will promote the deescalation of the situation and strive for a political settlement,” China’s U.S. Embassy told Newsweek on Thursday, echoing previous comments made by Lin Jian of Beijing’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

The statements are indicative of Beijing’s attempts to cast itself as an neutral actor in the situation, at once constrained by its informal alliance with Moscow and its desire to avoid entangling itself in what is transforming into a confrontation between Russian and united Western powers.

While China has in the past attempted to broker a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, it has been accused of providing Putin with weapons used in the conflict, and has repeatedly refused to condemn the invasion.

“On the situation on the Korean Peninsula, we hope that relevant parties will face squarely the crux of the Korean Peninsula issue and play a constructive role for deescalating tensions, advancing dialogue and upholding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” Newsweek was told.

The past few weeks have seen tensions between North and South Korea reach their highest level in years.

Pyongyang has formally renounced is desire to unify with South Korea, amending its constitution in January to define Seoul as the country’s “principal enemy.”

More recently, the country has begun fortifying its positions near the Demilitarized Zone, stationing troops near the border, and threatened Seoul with military retaliation following reports that a South Korean drone had entered its airspace.

These actions, as well as the recently confirmed reports that Pyongyang is sending troops to Russia, creates a difficult balancing act for China, one of the country’s few global allies.

On Wednesday, The New York Times reported on claims that Russia could be providing Pyongyang with weapons in exchange for the troop transfers, and said that this “could embolden the North to act more aggressively,” which it added would “diminish Beijing’s ability to influence the reclusive state.”

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