North Korean newspaper: China-US relations are deteriorating
(Baonghean.vn) - On August 27, a major North Korean newspaper published a commentary mentioning the escalating trade conflict between Washington and Beijing, North Korea's denuclearization, and many other issues.
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| Illustration photo: Yonhap |
Titled “Sino-US Relations Are Deteriorating,” a commentary in the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, introduced the content of the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2019 and China’s angry reaction to the bill.
“It is noteworthy that the NDAA specifies regulations on Chinese investment activities in the United States. As expected, the 2019 US NDAA has caused a fierce reaction from China,” the newspaper said.
The US bill includes restrictions on Chinese investment in the US and other tough stances against China, according to the source. The document prohibits the US government from using technology from Chinese companies such as ZTE and Huawei, and prohibits doing business with entities that use Chinese technology.
The article was published after US President Donald Trump canceled Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's planned trip to North Korea and blamed China for the lack of progress in denuclearizing North Korea.
When Trump signed the NDAA into law on August 13, Beijing strongly objected, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang urging the US to abandon Cold War thinking and “zero-sum” games.
Citing Lu's remarks, the Rodong Sinmun said: "Foreign sources say the US argument about a 'China threat' has been exaggerated. They also believe the US is trying to profit from such a debate."
“It seems that the latest development will further worsen the already tense Sino-US relations due to their competing tariffs,” the newspaper wrote.
Observers said the commentary did not clearly state North Korea's stance on the escalating conflict between the US and China, but implicitly confirmed that Pyongyang is closely monitoring relations between the two countries that could affect North Korea-US relations and denuclearization negotiations.
On the same day, Pyongyang's foreign propaganda website Uriminzokkiri criticized the revision of the NDAA to call for maintaining a minimum of 22,000 US troops in South Korea.
“The US military presence in South Korea cannot be justified by any reason. The US has once again demonstrated its unwavering ambition towards North Korea,” the website asserted, accusing Washington of violating the agreement reached at the Singapore summit in June.
