CRANK Call | May 2025
CRANK Call is a monthly review of developments involving cooperation, and at times contention, among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea (the CRANKs).
May 2025 Highlights
President Xi visits Russia for Victory Day
President Xi Jinping of China made a state visit to Moscow from May 7–9 to commemorate Victory Day, marking the end of World War II in Europe. The Chinese leader’s presence took on outsized importance this year, as it partly offset the sparse attendance of other world leaders amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Except for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, most of the attending leaders were from either former Soviet republics or friendly states such as Cuba.
President Vladimir Putin did, however, acknowledge the contributions of the Western Allies to the defeat of Nazi Germany, while also criticizing Western powers in his Victory Day speech. The military parade featured Chinese troops and, for the first time, drones. Putin also acknowledged a group of North Korean officers in attendance and recognized their contributions to the war in Ukraine.
The joint communiqué released by Putin and Xi went further than previous summit statements in its criticism of the United States and denunciation of NATO expansion, including NATO’s discussions about a possible role in the Asia-Pacific region. The two leaders emphasized their commitment to developing payment mechanisms in local currencies. They also concluded an agreement on space cooperation, including a joint International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), scheduled for completion by 2036 and powered by a small modular Russian nuclear reactor.
Russia provides North Korea with air defense equipment
Russia has transferred advanced air defense equipment to North Korea as part of its compensation for the approximately 14,000 soldiers North Korea has sent to fight in Ukraine on Russia’s behalf, according to a report published on May 29 by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT). The MSMT is a watchdog group established after Russia, with support from China, effectively dismantled formal sanctions monitoring by a panel reporting to the United Nations Security Council last year. In addition to air defense systems, North Korea has also received petroleum products, electronic warfare systems, and technical feedback on the performance of its weapons systems.
Russia uses North Korean systems to intensify bombardment of Ukrainian cities
North Korea’s arms supplies to Russia have enabled the Russian military to intensify its bombardment of Ukrainian cities, even as Russia has depleted its own stockpiles of short-range ballistic and cruise missiles, according to a report from the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT). The report indicates that North Korea has transferred more than 100 ballistic missiles to Russia, along with multiple launch rocket systems and as many as 9 million artillery shells. Since North Korea began supplies in September 2023, the total volume of shipments has reached approximately 20,000 shipping containers loaded with munitions.
China strives for cultural influence in North Korea
Recognizing that North Korean officials perceive Chinese media content as less threatening to their hold on power than content from South Korea or the United States, China is seeking to leverage this as a form of soft power in the DPRK through an unacknowledged cultural development cooperation program. The apparent goal is to cultivate a more friendly and positive perception of China among North Koreans. Much of the content circulates into North Korea via USB drives, SD cards, MP5 video players, and other hardware that crosses the border through traders and travelers. Chinese sources have also indicated satisfaction with the Trump administration’s rollback of previous U.S. democracy promotion efforts.
Links
—Russia and China held consultations at the Deputy Foreign Minister level on Asia-Pacific affairs. (Chinese MFA)
—Iran’s parliament voted on May 21 to ratify the 20-year Strategic Partnership Agreement signed by Presidents Pezeshkian and Putin on January 17. (Reuters)
—Iran is preparing to deliver launchers for the Fath-360 short-range ballistic missiles it supplied to Russia last year, according to Western officials. Iran has denied this. (Reuters, Tehran Times)
—Russia has significantly increased its domestic production capacity for attack drones based on the Iranian Shahed-136 design. (The Washington Post)
—Satellite imagery confirms that Russia and North Korea have begun construction of a highway bridge over the Tumen River, which will link the two countries. (The Independent)
—Iran has launched freight rail service between coastal China and Tehran, with trains passing through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan—a journey of only 15 days. (PressTV)
—North Korea has increased its imports of Chinese goods, with crossings at Hunchun and Changbai in Jilin Province handling most of the trade that violates U.N. Security Council sanctions, rather than the higher-volume crossing at Dandong. (Daily NK)
—China is set to begin providing guest faculty members to the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology through a one-year loan program. (Daily NK)
Recent Analysis
The Booming China-Russia Drone Alliance (David Kirichenko, Center for European Policy Analysis)
Victory Parade Marks Steady March of China-Russia Relations (Peter Mattis, Jamestown Foundation)
CRANK Perspectives
China and Russia Should Stay Ahead of the Curve (Andrei Kortunov, Global Times)
CRANK Call
Editor-in-Chief, Paul Saunders
Editor, Greg Priddy (gpriddy@cftni.org)
Image: Press office of the Russian president (via Wikimedia Commons)