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Power Play
North Korea a pawn in US-China rivalry, or game master?
There is the view that Beijing uses Pyongyang to irritate Washington, while others see North Korea as playing the two giants against each other for its own gains.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a meeting with politburo members on Jan 19, 2022.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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Just days into 2022, North Korea is ratcheting up tensions with a flurry of missile tests and protesting against fresh sanctions imposed by its "enemy" - the United States.
At the same time, the regime is sending trains to China's border city of Dandong to quietly bring home medical supplies and other necessities. This is said to be the first trade exchange between the two friendly neighbours since Pyongyang shut its borders 1½ years ago to block the Covid-19 pandemic.
