Sino-North Korean friendship has been on full display this week in Beijing, where Chinese and North Korean diplomats engaged in several, very public expressions affirming their countries’ friendship.

The recent reaffirmation of their so-called blood alliance, ahead of what will likely be the renewal of the China-DPRK friendship treaty, comes at a time when North Korea has roundly quashed any hopes that Pyongyang and Washington can talk “anytime, anywhere.”

As such, the United States could find going forward that its approach to the Korean security crisis will increasingly become part of the broader Sino-U.S