Publication

This paper talks about Chinese policy toward North Korea and the debates over whether it should change and what forms these changes could take. It suggests that a main question in this debate is whether North Korea is an effective buffer for China against the US and its allies, Japan and South Korea, or if it is a “time bomb” that could lead to destabilization in the region. It concludes that there is evidence that China has changed its policy toward North Korea, but that there have only really been adjustments rather than any fundamental alterations.