Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
North Korea
Relationship assessment
A long-standing alliance marked by Chinese support and recurring tension over North Korea’s weapons programs
People's Republic of China toward North Korea
+40China maintains a mutual-assistance treaty with North Korea and has provided it with political and economic support. China has also supported United Nations sanctions in response to North Korean nuclear and missile activity, reflecting limits to that support.
North Korea toward People's Republic of China
+25North Korea maintains its treaty alliance and political ties with China, but has continued nuclear and missile development despite Chinese objections. This conduct has repeatedly strained the relationship.
Overall relationship
+35The 1961 mutual-assistance treaty and enduring political and economic links anchor a close bilateral relationship. Chinese support is balanced by disputes over North Korea’s weapons programs and China’s participation in United Nations sanctions.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
China and North Korea maintain a treaty-based alliance and substantial political and economic ties. China has provided important support while also backing United Nations sanctions related to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. North Korea’s continued weapons development, despite Chinese objections, has been a recurring source of strain.
Areas of tension
- North Korea’s nuclear weapons development and nuclear tests
- North Korea’s missile development and launches
- China’s support for United Nations sanctions on North Korea
Key developments
China and North Korea signed a treaty of friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and terms of current Chinese economic support to North Korea are unclear.
- The extent to which China’s sanctions enforcement has changed over time is uncertain.