Overview

• The banquet was hosted by China’s top envoy, Wang Yajun, at the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang to mark the 98th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
• North Korean defense, foreign and ruling party officials joined foreign diplomats and military attaches in calling for enhanced combat friendship and unity between their armed forces.
• This ceremony marked the first time since 2019 that KCNA publicly covered a PLA anniversary event, reflecting revived military commemorations between the two nations.
• Earlier in July, Pyongyang and Beijing held reciprocal receptions to observe the 64th anniversary of their 1961 mutual defense treaty.
• Analysts view the sequence of high-level military rituals as Beijing’s strategic effort to reassert influence in response to shifting regional dynamics and North Korea’s alignment with Moscow.