China-North Korea Relations: Is one of China's all-weather allies a backstab? Beijing arrests North Korean spy for stealing drone technology
The detention of North Korean spies accused of stealing drone technology could indicate that tensions are rising between two long-term allies.
The action reflects China's strong concern about regional stability and its impact on North Korea.
According to the talks, in late April 2025, a North Korean IT expert was allegedly arrested by Chinese authorities in the northeastern city of Shenyang on suspicion of stealing drone technical secrets.
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According to the story first aired on South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, the suspect is part of a large network operated in China, reportedly linked to North Korea's major missile development agency. According to reports, Pyongyang recalls retaliation by Chinese IT workers. Many Chinese Internet websites later shared this story. This shows that some implicit editors in Beijing approved it given China's strict censorship, although some websites later deleted the story.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson responded to Yonhap about the so-called incident without refuting the details, saying that China and North Korea were “friendly neighbors” for “normal” personnel exchanges.
The incident challenged the notion that China and North Korea were “armed brothers” and instead pointed to a rare semi-public dispute between two communist neighbors.
The arrest was hardly reported in the English-language media, suggesting a more comprehensive and nuanced difference in the current relationship between the two countries.
Is Pyongyang leaving Beijing?
Beijing appears to have lost patience with Pyongyang, at least in part because of growing ties between North Korea and Moscow. This development has brought China's long-term position as a major sponsor of North Korea to question.
The arrests may be a sign of a deterioration in relations between the two countries.
Beijing has long regarded North Korea as a natural sphere of influence and also a strategic security buffer.
According to China, allowing opponents to take over the peninsula, especially the north, could pave the way for more military threats in the future. This anxiety helps explain China's intervention in the Korean War of 1950-1953.
China has maintained support for the North Korean government despite ongoing tensions around the nuclear issue for strategic reasons.
China has been Pyongyang’s main trading partner for many years and has provided important financial support. About 98% of North Korea's official trade in 2023 comes from China, which also continues to provide fuel and food to the regime.
Why does Russia's growing role worry China?
North Korea's relations with the West, especially China, are more closely linked to Russia. China believes that Pyongyang and Moscow propaganda are a challenge for its long-standing primary patron of North Korea, so it is concerned about the increasing proximity between the two countries.
Western concerns about a “axis of turmoil” involving all three countries have also been heightened by growing ties between North Korea and Russia.
This evolving dynamic threatens China's long-term role as a major supporter of Pyongyang. For decades, China has been North Korea's top trading partner and diplomatic protector. But as Kim Jong-un further alliances with Vladimir Putin, China's control appears to be relaxing.
The spy case may be explanatory. A new warship has recently been revealed a few days after North Korea announced its deployment of troops to Ukraine. It reflects the previous spy arrest in 2016, and North Korea has since doubled its nuclear ambitions. That is a low point in the relationship that may be along the same path.
Although China has not cut ties, the message is clear: Beijing no longer tends to look at it in another way. Strategic partnerships are now under real pressure, and the fate of this “brotherhood” is more volatile than ever.
FAQ
Why did China arrest North Korean citizens?
The person was charged with stealing drone technology, allegedly related to the North Korean Missile Agency.
Is this a sign of deterioration in China's North Korea relations?
Possible. The arrest and its timing show that Beijing is not satisfied with the bond between Pyongyang and Moscow.
