The U.S. and its allies are increasingly on edge about North Korea’s apparent deployment of troops to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Washington and NATO have confirmed that the DPRK is sending troops to Russia’s Kursk region, while South Korea has warned that it could arm Kyiv in response.

Amid all the ruckus, China’s relatively muted response stands out. Asked about North Korea’s troop deployment, Beijing’s foreign ministry gave a short and dismissive response: “China does not have information on that and our position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent