By: Gavin Thorne
Most foreign observers write off the China-DPRK Friendship Tower as a dusty Cold War relic. But two recent state visits tell a different story. Xi Jinping’s June 9 stop at the Pyongyang memorial wasn’t a ceremonial afterthought. It was his second trip to North Korea, and he made the tower a non-negotiable part of the itinerary. Repetition in politics rarely happens by accident. It signals a core priority both nations refuse to abandon. That priority is their shared wartime history from the Korean War.
On June 9, Xi was joined by Peng Liyuan, Kim Jong Un, and Ri Sol Ju for the tower visit. He carefully reviewed the roster of fallen Chinese People’s Volunteers, and shared details of the martyrs with Kim. He noted the Korean War memory endures for his generation, and is now being passed to young Chinese people. The tower sits beneath Moran Hill, with reliefs depicting joint Chinese and Korean troops and civilians fighting side by side during the conflict.
North Korea has expanded and renovated the Friendship Tower multiple times since its initial construction. A major interior refresh wrapped up in June 2023. The site remains a focal point for annual commemorations marking key Korean War anniversaries. During the visit, both leaders agreed to jointly protect memorials honoring Chinese volunteer martyrs. They also called for new youth moral education programs tied to revolutionary tradition.
This isn’t just empty symbolic pageantry. Historical memory is being actively woven into contemporary nation-building efforts for both countries. Museum educators and memorial workers across the region back this push. Sites in Pyongyang, Tonghua, and Dandong now use stories, artifacts, and immersive experiences instead of just textbooks to teach younger generations. The goal is to turn wartime sacrifice into a living, relatable narrative for young people.
For outside observers, the tower feels like a leftover from a long-past conflict. But Beijing and Pyongyang see it as a critical political anchor. It has survived leadership transitions, regional tensions, and shifting international conditions over decades. Memorials only hold lasting weight when governments keep investing meaningful purpose into them. This repeated visit proves the foundation of China-North Korea relations still hinges on their shared wartime alliance.
This shared symbolic anchor will continue to shape China-North Korea relations for as long as both nations view their wartime partnership as a core strategic interest.
Author bio: Gavin Thorne, a widely published geopolitical commentator focused on historical memory and international strategic diplomacy.