Sea of Japan access could be a national goal for China, yet neither Beijing nor Pyongyang brought it up in official remarks regarding the Xi-Kim summit
The river serves as a natural boundary between China, North Korea, and Russia, with a small section flowing between North Korea and Russia preventing China from reaching open seas.
For years, Beijing has sought to persuade its two neighbors to permit Chinese vessels to use the waterway, and only last month, there were modest encouraging signals from Moscow.
However, the lack of mention in the statements following this week’s summit indicates ongoing caution in both North Korea and Russia about China’s regional influence, according to analysts.
Ever since relinquishing territory that includes Primorsky Krai to the Russian Empire in 1860, China has strived to achieve direct entry to the Sea of Japan through the Tumen River, known as the Duman or Tuman River on the Korean Peninsula.