Chinese views of the nuclear endgame in North Korea
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Authors
Meyskens, Covell
Subjects
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
China
United States
regional stability
East Asia
alliances
sanctions
nuclear proliferation
China
United States
regional stability
East Asia
alliances
sanctions
nuclear proliferation
Advisors
Date of Issue
2019
Date
2019
Publisher
Routledge Taylor & Francis Group
Language
Abstract
This article examines Chinese views of North Korea’s nuclear weapon program during the Donald J. Trump administration. It
shows that China has portrayed itself as a responsible country
that promotes regional stability, unlike the United States, which
has engaged in military brinkmanship with North Korea. Some
Chinese foreign-policy experts have asserted that Beijing should
back Pyongyang in the event of war because of their shared
history of humiliation by great powers, while others have favored
working with other regional partners. Another theme in Chinese
discourse about North Korea is that Pyongyang is an impetuous,
ungrateful regime that impedes Beijing’s ability to attain its core
interests of regional stability, economic development, and
heightened global influence. This negative assessment of North
Korea drove Beijing’s endorsement of stricter UN sanctions in
2017. While Beijing has punished Pyongyang for its wayward
policies, China responded favorably to North Korea’s decision in
April 2018 to stop nuclear tests and partake in international
dialogue. Beijing seeks to help Pyongyang gradually disarm and
develop its economy within a Chinese-led East Asian order. The
article concludes by explaining how Beijing’s recent, more positive
view of Pyongyang is likely to affect its support for American
efforts to dismantle North Korea’s nuclear-weapon program.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10736700.2019.1667050
Series/Report No
Department
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction
Format
19 p.
Citation
Meyskens, Covell. "Chinese views of the nuclear endgame in North Korea." The Nonproliferation Review (2019): 1-19.
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.