We are pleased to present the 15th issue of John Lukacs Analyses on Global Affairs: 2025/15. New dynamics in the Beijing–Moscow–Pyongyang Triangle
Key insights from this analysis include:
- The 2025 Beijing Victory Day celebrations spectacularly signalled the deepening of cooperation between China, Russia and North Korea, becoming a symbol of joint action against US hegemony.
- The common interest of the Beijing–Moscow–Pyongyang trio is to curb American influence and promote a multipolar world order, but due to their differing goals and political cultures, there is still no complete unity between the three countries.
- North Korea’s goal is to secure regime survival, reduce its dependence on China and increase the country’s international room for manoeuvre, which it achieves by skilfully exploiting Russian-Chinese rivalry.
- Russia uses Pyongyang as a tactical tool to divert American attention and, since the escalation of the war in Ukraine, has also relied on it as a military ally, while strengthening the DPRK through technological cooperation.
- China is once again drawing closer to North Korea in order to maintain regional stability and its own influence, as Pyongyang is important to Beijing as a buffer state and strategic ally against the US-Japan-South Korea triangle.
- In the current situation, the triangle is more of a network of three bilateral relationships than a real alliance, but with growing international tensions, it could easily turn into institutionalised military-political cooperation.
You can read the full paper on the John Lukacs Institute website.