The growing military alliance between Russia, North Korea and Iran is causing serious concern in Beijing, Forbes writes. Chinese leader Xi Jinping fears that the strengthening of personal ties between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un will weaken China's influence over Pyongyang and destabilize East Asia, the business publication Forbes reports. According to intelligence data, since the end of 2024, the DPRK has supplied Russia with more than 15 million artillery shells and deployed 16,000 of its military personnel to help Moscow [rbc.ua/ukr/news/kitay-poboyuetsya-posilennya-soyuzu-putina-1789348083.html "Forbes"].
At the same time Iran has officially requested from Moscow the supply of modernized Russian unmanned aircraft of the “Geran“ series to use in its confrontation against the US and Israel, the Financial Times reported [pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/09/14/8053255/ “Financial Times“]. These UAVs are an improved Russian version of the original Iranian “Shahed“, but now have artificial intelligence and thermal cameras for targeting [korrespondent.net/world/4911408-yran-poprosyl-u-rossyy-usovershenstvovannye-shakhedy-smy “Financial Times”]. Beijing categorically refuses to enter into a trilateral military pact with Moscow and Pyongyang in order to preserve its strategic maneuvers on the international stage [unian.net/world/rossiya-i-kndr-chto-vyzyvaet-bespokoystvo-u-kitaya-v-svyazi-s-etim-soyuzom-13498680.html "Forbes"].