Missile tests hours after China’s foreign minister left Seoul won’t alter Beijing’s focus on regime stability, analysts say
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenShi JiangtaoPublished: 5:00pm, 25 Aug 2026Updated: 5:03pm, 25 Aug 2026China’s muted response to North Korea’s latest missile launch, which came soon after top diplomat Wang Yi’s visit to Seoul, underscores how Beijing is prioritising Pyongyang’s stability over near‑term denuclearisation, according to analysts.North Korea started launching more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles just hours after Wang concluded his two-day visit on Thursday, the foreign minister’s first official trip to South Korea in nearly five years.South Korea and Japan condemned the launch as a provocation.
Beijing declined to criticise the barrage fired into the sea east of the peninsula, with China’s foreign ministry saying the following day that it had “noted the reports” and did not have any “new comment”.
During his meetings in Seoul, Wang urged South Korea to pursue “genuine strategic autonomy”, avoid taking sides between China and the United States and move towards “peaceful coexistence” with its northern neighbour.
