Evolution of China’s Policies toward the North Korean Nuclear Issue

Evolution of China’s Policies toward the North Korean Nuclear Issue

Developments on the Korean peninsula are a key, ongoing issue in international politics. A fossilized leftover of the ideological confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union in the Cold War, it is a crucial element in the geopolitics of Northeast Asia. As the issue has become ever more acute in recent years, it has added to uncertainties and dangers on the Korean peninsula, attracting great global attention. This paper attempts to analyze the evolving policies and strategic objectives adopted by China as a stakeholder in this issue. It also aims at offering a Chinese perspective of the past and prospective developments of the North Korean nuclear issue.