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North Korea
OpinionChina Opinion
Alex Lo
As I see it
Alex Lo

Kim Jong-un turns out to be the cleverest of them all

As others exert geopolitical influence based on economic or military might, North Korea’s leader has turned a weaker hand to his advantage

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President Xi Jinping (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un applaud during an artistic performance at the Pyongyang Gymnasium on June 8. Photo: Xinhua via AP
Alex Lo
Alex Lo has been an SCMP columnist since 2012, commenting on China and international affairs.
Even Western pundits grudgingly admitted the summit between President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was a success. Both sides, according to Bloomberg, “appear to have walked away with what they wanted”. Given China’s rising pre-eminence while avoiding any damaging war, it’s no surprise that Xi had the upper hand in his recent meetings with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But with Kim, the stakes for Beijing were just as high, in light of Tokyo’s remilitarisation, Manila’s strengthened military cooperation with Washington, the South Korean-US alliance and Taiwan’s creep towards secessionism. They all point to a revitalised US-led containment strategy against China. Ostensibly the junior partner with Xi, Kim knew he was indispensable.

While all those strongmen dominate contemporary geopolitics because of their countries’ military or economic heft, Kim has turned a weaker hand to his advantage. During Xi’s visit, Kim called ties with China “the most important top priority”, reaffirming Beijing as his principal backer. Even so, he now has options with Moscow.

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