It's only the US projected image that leads you people to believe that relations between China and North Korea are bad. How could you believe the truth? China is totally invested in the security of North Korea. It's strategically important to them to prevent US advances into North Korea. As is the US stance on South Korea where the US fully intends to install a missile OFFENSE system to threaten China.
Relations between South Korea and the US aren't piss poor at best. That would be overstating the current situation. But those relations are faltering as South Korea made it clear to the US that South Korea will be making any decisions about US aggression against North Korea. Notwithstanding China's clear demands that it won't tolerate US war against North Korea. You may not like to hear the truth but you have to accept the status quo as it exists.
US war, or even US bombing of North Korea is completely off the table and is an accepted fact of it not going to happen.
I would suggest that the Iran situation is the same!
As to the North Korea flagwaving, it's starting slowly because the demonization project against North Korea has been fully pounded into the heads of the Western peoples. But it's going to come.
China doesn't want a lunatic with nukes any less than the US, S Korean, Japan or Russia as a neighbour and have sanctions on N.Korea too.
Nocookies | The Australian
China is limiting flights to North Korea, as a further sign — with its reduction in oil supplies and in coal purchases — of its loss of patience with dictator Kim Jong-un.
The North Korean national airline only began operating the route twice a week in March.
The website NK News quoted a North Korea travel expert as saying: “It’s a Chinese government decision. This would relate to the sanctions the Chinese are enforcing on Air Koryo.”
Last October, China said it would restrict air charter flights between the countries.
On Friday, the technicians *responsible for the successful launch on May 14 of the new Hwasong-12 missile were feted in a parade through Pyongyang.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper said: “Every street in the capital city fluttered with a celebratory atmosphere to greet the warriors of national defence and of science,” with hundreds of thousands of people waving flags and strewing flowers.
It said they had “bravely rushed to complete their new goal” of showing the world how North Korea is on the verge of checkmating the US imperialists, by developing “another perfect weapon system”.