The Chinese government has made a rare mention of “implementation of sanctions against North Korea” in response to reports that a North Korean female basketball player, who was playing in China’s professional league, abruptly returned to her home country.
According to Voice of America (VOA) on September 3, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the United States, responded to a written inquiry regarding reports of the “visa denial and repatriation” of North Korean female basketball player Pak Jin-a.
While he stated that he was not aware of the details, he emphasized that the “Chinese government has always fully and strictly implemented relevant UN Security Council resolutions on the DPRK.”
Previously, Pak Jin-a, a center for the North Korean women’s national basketball team, joined the Chinese women’s professional basketball team “Wuhan Shengfan” in June. Despite her contributions to the team’s runner-up finish in a cup tournament, she reportedly returned to North Korea suddenly after just over a month with the team.
Although the Chinese government has consistently stressed its commitment to fulfilling its obligations as a permanent member of the Security Council, this is the first time it has linked such a stance to recent tensions with North Korea.
For example, when reports emerged early July that China had refused to extend visas for North Korean workers in China, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian strongly rebuffed the news, stating, “I hope these media outlets will show professionalism and base their reporting on facts instead of treating journalism as if they were writing fiction.”
Experts are paying close attention to what appears to be conflicts between North Korea and China even in so-called “soft issues” such as sports, communications (base stations), and cultural content. They suggest this could indicate a significant decline in trust between the two nations, to the extent that it is affecting non-political exchanges.
Lee Hyun-seung, a researcher at the Global Peace Foundation who defected from North Korea after serving as the deputy director of a North Korean shipping and trading company under the Workers’ Party’s Office 39, interpreted China’s unprecedented response as a “warning message” to North Korea.
“This has never happened before,” Lee told VOA. “Despite UN sanctions against North Korea, China has never implemented them or spoken out because of its relationship with North Korea. I believe this response includes a warning message.”
Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, commented, “While these may seem like non-political soft issues on the surface, it cannot be ruled out that the relationship between North Korea and China is facing a more serious rift than anticipated.”
BY YEONGGYO CHUNG, YOUNGNAM KIM [chung.yeonggyo@joongang.co.kr]
