Chinese Social Media Commentator Zhang Bin Believes That North Korea Sending Troops To Russia Will Have A 'Mostly Negative' Impact On Asia

In a recent viral video, which was posted to Xigua Video on October 21, 2024, by Zhang Bin’s Commentary, Zhang Bin, a prominent Chinese social media commentator with 2.3 million followers on the video platform, provided his analysis of the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia.

Mr. Zhang warned that this move could have serious implications for China. Not only could it strain China’s relations with North Korea, but it might also provide NATO members with a pretext to escalate their involvement in Ukraine, destabilizing Europe and undermining China's interests.

Furthermore, Mr. Zhang suggested that the strengthening military alliance between North Korea and Russia could heighten tensions in Asia, reinforcing U.S. efforts to establish a "mini-NATO" with Japan and South Korea.

Mr. Zhang expressed concern that if tensions on the Korean Peninsula spiraled out of control, China could find itself inadvertently drawn into conflict.

Zhang Bin: "How would North Korea sending troops to Russia affect China? Could it drag China into war? Hello, everyone. Welcome to Zhang Bin's Commentary. There's currently a video circulating online showing two North Korean soldiers at a Russian training base. The video itself might be fake, but the possibility of North Korea deploying troops is very real. Reports suggest that North Korea has sent four brigades, totaling more than 12,000 soldiers, to the Kursk region to fight. This allows Russia to avoid using its main forces stationed in eastern Ukraine and instead let the North Korean units engage in combat in Kursk. The impact of this move by North Korea and Russia will be significant, especially with far-reaching ripple effects on the global situation. The consequences of the Russia-Ukraine conflict have already spread directly to the Asian region. For us, the impact is mostly negative.

"First, North Korea's primary goal in sending troops is to seek Russia's protection. Therefore, North Korea will try to do things that are highly beneficial to Russia, aiming to transform their quasi-military alliance into a formal one. As a result, we can expect North Korea to reduce its cooperation with us regarding the Korean Peninsula situation in the future. Second, North Korea isn't deploying engineering or paramilitary units – it is sending elite regular troops, which is a big deal. This could give NATO members, particularly Poland, an excuse to send forces into Ukraine, escalating NATO's confrontation with Russia. That would significantly harm our interests in Europe. Third, the military alliance between North Korea and Russia aligns with the U.S. strategy to create a so-called 'mini-NATO' in Asia, consisting of the U.S., Japan, and South Korea. This situation provides justification for that strategy, worsening our regional environment. Tensions between North and South Korea could even escalate into conflict, which, if mishandled, could end up dragging us into the fray."