Taipei, Taiwan – China avoided directly comments on the confirmation by North Korea of its deployment of troops in Russia and reiterated support for a “multilateral solution” to the conflict.
North Korea recognized Monday for the first time it had sent troops to Russia to support the Moscow War against Ukraine, six months after their presence emerged for the first time.
China, one of the rare allies of North Korea, was under pressure to serve as a restriction on Pyongyang while the United States and its allies fear that the deployment of North Korean troops can dangerously degenerate the Ukrainian war.
“Regarding bilateral interactions between Russia and RPDC, we have declared our position on several occasions. The position of China on the crisis of Ukraine is consistent and clear,” the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Guo Jiakun said on Monday at a regular press point.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or RPDC, is the official name of North Korea.
“We are actively working for a ceasefire and promote peace talks,” said Guo, without developing.
China previously called a “multilateral solution” to the Ukrainian crisis, saying: “All parties must promote the de -escalation of the situation and endeavor of political regulations.”
Ukraine estimates that up to 14,000 North Korean soldiers, including 3,000 reinforcements to replace its losses, are in Russia to fight against the Ukrainian forces which occupied parts of the Kursk Russia region last summer in a counter-offensive.
Reports on the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia have surfaced for the first time in October. Even as proof of their presence has increased – including when North Korean soldiers were caught in captivity by Ukrainian forces in Kursk and interviewed – nor North Korea or Russia have recognized their presence.
The United States previously expressed concern to China concerning the “destabilization” actions of North Korea and Russia and said Beijing should be concerned with the measures that Russia had taken to undermine stability and security.
Last year, speculation emerged that the links between North Korea and China had cooled while Pyongyang approached Moscow in recent years, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry has rejected such suggestions.
The remarks of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs came in the midst of media reports on Tuesday that North Korea “urgently repatriated” all its IT workers based in the Chinese city of Shenyang, after one of them was detained by the Chinese public security authorities for having pretended Chinese military technology.
Authorities have discovered in-depth data related to Chinese weapons and military technologies on the laptop of the North Korean IT worker, which would have been obtained by piracy, the Yonhap news agency in South Korea reported Tuesday, citing Tuesday familiar names with North Korean affairs.
Although the specific nature of Chinese military information found on the worker’s laptop has not been disclosed, it is assumed that it can involve unmanned air or UAV technologies – a field that North Korea has recently prioritized for development.
Piracy groups linked to North Korea have been found several times targeting military institutions and defense companies worldwide, including in South Korea. Although Russia has often been among their targets, it is rare that North Korea is surprised steering information at its close ally China, sources told Yonhap.
Edited by Mike Firn and Stephen Wright.