Description: In this major new interpretation of Sino-North Korean relations, Gregg A. Brazinsky argues that neither the PRC nor the DPRK would have survived as socialist states without the ideal of Sino-North Korean friendship. Chinese and North Korean leaders encouraged mutual empathy and sentimental attachments between their citizens and then used these emotions to strengthen popular commitment to socialist state building. Drawing on an array of previously unexamined Chinese and North Korean sources, Brazinsky shows how mutual empathy helped to shape political, military, and cultural interactions between the two socialist allies. He explains why the unique relationship that Beijing and Pyongyang forged during the Korean War remained important throughout the Cold War and how it continues to influence the international relations of East Asia today.
Brief description: Gregg A. Brazinsky is Professor of History and International Affairs at The George Washington University and the author or editor of three previous books about China and Korea.
Review Quotes: 'Cold War Comrades is a refreshing study of the Sino-North Korean relationship seen through the lens of a convoluted friendship. By guiding the readers through the front and back stages of the Cold War, Brazinsky shows us how building emotional narratives around friends and foes served state-building projects in ways much more significant than we realize.' Suk-Young Kim, author of Millennial North Korea