Securing Beijing’s cooperation on denuclearizing North Korea requires a clear understanding of Chinese strategic thinking on the Korean Peninsula.
Key Findings
This paper will provide a brief overview of three critical points in the evolution of China’s policy toward North Korea: the Korean War and the origins of Beijing’s view of North Korea as a buffer state; the second North Korean nuclear crisis of the early 2000s and Beijing’s decision to play an active role in the Six Party Talks; and the present era of Xi Jinping, in which a lively debate has emerged on China’s long-standing prioritization of stability over the denuclearization of North Korea. The paper will conclude with recommendations for how the United States should approach China to obtain its full cooperation on a strategy of maximum pressure and diplomatic engagement to denuclearize North Korea.