본 연구는 중국과 북한이 ‘혈맹관계’에서 ‘전략적 관계’로 퇴보하는 과정에서 나타난 북한의 대중국인식 변화 요인들을 분석한 것이다. 기존 연구들에서는 북·중 관계는 ‘혈맹’, ‘순망치한’, ‘전략적 이해관계’ 등 전통적 관점에서 분석하는 경향들이 있지만 북한의 3대 세습과 중국 ‘시진핑 지도부’의 공세적 외교는 각국의 이익을 중심으로 한 전략적 ‘이용’에 불과하다는 것을 알 수 있었다. 중국은 지역 내의 안정과 평화가 자국 이익에 부합하다고 판단하고 ‘현상유지’ 즉 북한의 불안정요소를 관리 및 유인하려는 차원에서 관계를 유지해왔다. 또한 북한문제와 두 개의 한반도 전략을 미국과의 협상을 위한 지렛대로 활용하면서 자국의 이익을 극대화 하고 있다. 이는 냉전기의 중·미 데탕트와 탈냉전 한·중 수교과정에서 이미 북한은 중국에 대해 배신감을 느꼈고, 중국은 더 이상 신뢰할 만한 동맹국이 아니라는 인식이 북·중관계의 기저에 깔려있다는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 중국이 적대국인 미국과 수교를 했다는 것은 북한의 수뇌부로 하여금 혈맹국인 중국을 신뢰할 수 있는지에 대한 ‘혼란과 재평가’라는 과제를 안겨줬고, 결국은 홀로서기를 위한 새로운 전략을 강구할 수밖에 없는 상황으로 이어졌다. 한‧중 수교는 북한과 중국의 최고의 갈등으로 이어진 사건이며 이후 북‧중 관계가 어느 정도 회복은 되었지만, 여전히 불신이 자리 잡고 있다는 것을 밝히고 있다.
This article analyzes the factors that change North Korea's perception of China in the process of regressing from a "blood alliance" between North Korea and China to "strategic relations". Existing studies have shown that North Korea-China relations tend to be analyzed from a traditional perspective, such as a "blood alliance" and "strategic relations of interests". However, significant leadership changes in both countries have made them remain as the relations of strategic partners for their interests. China judged that stability and peace in the region were in line with its interests and maintained relations in "maintaining the status quo" that is, managing and attracting North Korea's instability factors. China also maximizes its interests by using the North Korean issue and two strategies on the Korean Peninsula as a mine for negotiations with the United States. That means that in diplomatic relations between China and the United States during the Cold War, North Korea already felt betrayed by China, and China is no longer a reliable ally underlying Sino-North Korea relations. China's joining hands with the hostile U.S. has given North Korean leaders the task of "confusion and re-evaluation" of whether they can trust China, a blood-blind country. Eventually, they have no choice but to come up with a new strategy to stand alone. In the early 1990s, diplomatic relations between South Korea and China led to the highest conflict between North Korea and China. Although relations between North Korea and China have recovered since then, distrust is still in place.
This article analyzes the factors that change North Korea's perception of China in the process of regressing from a "blood alliance" between North Korea and China to "strategic relations". Existing studies have shown that North Korea-China relations tend to be analyzed from a traditional perspective, such as a "blood alliance" and "strategic relations of interests". However, significant leadership changes in both countries have made them remain as the relations of strategic partners for their interests. China judged that stability and peace in the region were in line with its interests and maintained relations in "maintaining the status quo" that is, managing and attracting North Korea's instability factors. China also maximizes its interests by using the North Korean issue and two strategies on the Korean Peninsula as a mine for negotiations with the United States. That means that in diplomatic relations between China and the United States during the Cold War, North Korea already felt betrayed by China, and China is no longer a reliable ally underlying Sino-North Korea relations. China's joining hands with the hostile U.S. has given North Korean leaders the task of "confusion and re-evaluation" of whether they can trust China, a blood-blind country. Eventually, they have no choice but to come up with a new strategy to stand alone. In the early 1990s, diplomatic relations between South Korea and China led to the highest conflict between North Korea and China. Although relations between North Korea and China have recovered since then, distrust is still in place.