A half-century of Sino-DPRK treaty of friendship

Hardly worth more than a mention in today's 'Financial Times of London', Chinese vice-premier Zheng Dejiang hand carried a letter of Hu Jintao to Kim Jong il confirming that China's ties of friendship and support of North Korea is an 'unshakable strategic policy', as the two countries mark the 50 anniversary of a friendship treaty.

If the US policy clerisy's bet that Beijing would jettison in any fashion its ally in Pyongyang, US North Korea watch have come up on the losing end.

Zheng's presence in the North Korean capitol should send an urgent signal to the Obama administration and to the Lee Myung bak regime in Seoul. At a time the US is criticising China in its forward policy in the South China Sea, Beijing has its own cards to play to make life difficult to US Korea policy.