CHINA PERSPECTIVE

Beijing, June 24, 2026. As Kim Jong Un unveils plans for a nuclear-powered North Korean navy and a new destroyer, China's perspective diverges sharply from those of Washington and Seoul. Beijing redirects the narrative toward what it describes as Japanese militarism and US-Japan military exercises, characterizing them as the genuine source of peninsular destabilization.

According to the South China Morning Post, Kim Jong Un has described Japan as a defeated nation transforming into a "war state," rhetoric Pyongyang employs to justify its own defensive military expansion. This marks the first time Kim has labeled Tokyo's posture as militarism, signaling an escalation in rhetorical intensity. He has also pledged more expansive, innovative, and ambitious plans rooted in nuclear technology, with the stated goal of surpassing global standards in defense capabilities.

CGTN, China's international state media outlet, focuses not on Pyongyang but on the Resolute Dragon and Valiant Shield exercises conducted by Washington and Tokyo in June 2026 across southern Japan—Kyushu and Okinawa—which include temporary deployment of the Typhon mid-range missile system at Kanoya Air Base. CGTN emphasizes that Japanese residents have demonstrated against these maneuvers, quoting a Tokyo resident who contends that the two allies, under the guise of strengthening defense, are intensifying military competition in the region. The RIMPAC exercise, which convenes 31 nations from June 24 to July 31 in Hawaii, is similarly cited as an escalatory factor.

Meanwhile, Sino-South Korean diplomacy advances on separate channels. Premier Li Qiang met South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok in Dalian, on the margins of the World Economic Forum, to reinforce the strategic cooperation partnership between Beijing and Seoul, emphasizing semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy. China and South Korea are exploring acceleration of the second phase of their free trade agreement, signaling Beijing's intent to maintain open economic corridors with Seoul despite the tight security environment.

On the naval front proper, the aircraft carrier Liaoning completed over 40 days of advanced training exercises in the South China Sea and Western Pacific, including for the first time coordinated operations with a Type 075 amphibious assault ship and land-based aerial refueling assets, according to CCTV. While this exercise is not directly linked to North Korea's destroyer, it underscores the naval modernization dynamic characterizing the broader region.

Overall, China's position consists of contextualizing Pyongyang's announcements within a security environment it attributes primarily to US military alliances, while sustaining its own bilateral dialogue channels with Seoul.