Both Russia and China are sending government delegations to North Korea this week to join commemorations of the signing of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War 70 years ago.
The conflict, launched by North Korea in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to conquer its southern rival, brought in forces from the newly created People's Republic of China aided by the then-Soviet air force, while South Korea, the U.S. and troops from various countries under the direction of the United Nations battled to repulse the invasion.
No peace treaty has ever been signed officially ending the war, and the border between the Koreas remains among the most tense in the world.
North Korea has been preparing huge celebrations of the anniversary of the armistice on Thursday, July 27, that are likely to be capped off by a military parade in the capital, Pyongyang, where leader Kim Jong Un could showcase his most powerful, nuclear-capable missiles designed to target neighboring rivals and the U.S.
Some experts say North Korea, which considers the armistice a recognition of victory, might also ramp up its weapons tests around the anniversary.
China's ruling Communist Party is sending a mid-level official, Li Hongzhong, to the commemorations in hopes of restoring exchanges between the allies.
Li is a member of the party's high-level Politburo and a deputy chairperson of the ceremonial parliament, giving him national office, but not the level of status that would convey a full-bore expression of Chinese backing for North Korea at an ambiguous time in relations.
North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency said a Russian delegation led by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will also make a congratulatory visit to the country to mark the anniversary of the armistice.
North Korea has been aligning with Russia over the war in Ukraine as it confronts the United States and its Asian allies over its own growing nuclear weapon and missile program.
North Korea has blamed the United States for the crisis in Ukraine, insisting that the West's hegemonic policy forced Russia to take military action to protect its security interests.
China was invited to send a high-level delegation to attend commemorative activities in North Korea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily briefing Tuesday.
We believe the visit will be conducive to promoting the sound and stable development of (bilateral) relations, contributing to regional peace and stability, and creating conditions for a political settlement of the (Korean) peninsula issue, Mao said.
China has joined United Nations sanctions against North Korea over its missile and nuclear programs but remains its most important economic and political ally. Little is known about discreet contacts between the two, but Beijing has long been committed to preventing the collapse of North Korea's three-generation-old Kim regime.
Dangerous and uncertain factors resulting from a collapse could include a wave of refugees crossing into China, a scramble for control of North Korea's nuclear weapons and the sudden presence of South Korean and American troops along China's border.
North Korean leader Kim has visited China in past years, while Chinese leader Xi Jinping travelled to the North in 2019 in what was seen as partly an effort to use their ties to leverage concessions from the U.S. and its allies on their security arrangements in the region.
Such visits came to a halt as an increasingly isolated and impoverished North Korea closed its borders to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
North Korea test-fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile in three months on Wednesday, days after it threatened shocking consequences to protest what it called provocative United States reconnaissance activity near its territory.
