Beijing and Pyongyang are cosying up again. Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un ended the North Korean leader's visit to China with a joint statement vowing to deepen bilateral cooperation. The UK intelligence community is watching closely. Sources say the nuclear risk assessment has been upgraded to 'amber'.
The visit, shrouded in secrecy until today, saw Kim tour a high-tech industrial park in Dalian. He then met Xi for talks described as 'cordial and constructive' by state media. The pair committed to 'new phases' in their relationship. No specifics were given. But the message was clear: China will not abandon its rogue neighbour.
Downing Street is alarmed. A Whitehall source tells me the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) has been tasked with a rapid assessment of the nuclear implications. 'We are at a tipping point,' the source said. 'The North is emboldened. China is enabling them.'
The visit coincided with the anniversary of the 2018 Singapore summit between Kim and Trump. That meeting raised hopes of denuclearisation. Those hopes are now dead. The North has tested multiple missiles this year. It is believed to be preparing for a seventh nuclear test.
UK diplomats are scrambling. The Foreign Office has summoned the Chinese ambassador for a dressing down. But Beijing is unmoved. Its priority is stability on its border. It sees the US alliance with South Korea and Japan as a threat.
The real danger, say intelligence insiders, is miscalculation. 'Kim thinks he can push further without consequences,' a former MI6 officer told me. 'Xi is giving him cover. It is a dangerous game.'
The visit ends today. But the fallout will last longer. Whitehall is now bracing for a period of increased tension. The PM has been briefed. Emergency planning is underway.
In Westminster, the mood is grim. MP on the Foreign Affairs Committee are demanding answers. One told me: 'We are sleepwalking into a crisis. The government needs to wake up.'
The nuclear risk is real. The UK must act. But what can it do? Sanctions have failed. Diplomacy is stalled. The only option may be to strengthen deterrence. But that risks an arms race.
For now, the game continues. But the stakes have never been higher. Watch this space.
