North Korean Troops in Russia: Implications for China | by Feng Yujun

"Never assume that strength comes from numbers alone. Often, having incompetent teammates can prove more detrimental than being isolated." – Feng Yujun

Today’s edition features a short commentary by Feng Yujun (冯玉军) on the risk posed to China by Moscow’s deepening military ties with Pyongyang, originally posted on October 18 in his WeChat Moments (朋友圈). Other Chinese scholars have voiced similar concerns, as previously highlighted in this newsletter. Feng recently transferred from Fudan University’s Institute of International Studies to Peking University’s History Department. Rather than a promotion, I understand this move may have been related to his ongoing criticism of Russia and his repeated calls for Beijing to distance itself from Moscow since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. I suspect that his new role is less public-facing and less prone to upsetting both his Russian counterparts and Chinese officialdom. Another well-known critic of Russia’s invasion, Hu Wei (胡伟), was recently forced into early retirement for holding similar views. Professor Feng has reviewed and approved today’s translation. — Thomas

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