Robert Urbanek
Platinum Member
China may be the only country with enough economic, political and military leverage to peacefully persuade North Korea to give up nuclear weapons.
Almost all of North Korea's exports are either to China, or through China to elsewhere. Some 90% of its aid comes from China. China is the only country it has air links with, and a rail line into.
How much leverage does China have over North Korea?
So how do we persuade China to put the screws on North Korea? Perhaps the best policy is for the U.S. to announce it has given up on stopping nuclear proliferation along the Pacific Rim. The U.S. could say that it is resigned to accepting that other nations and territories in the area may need nuclear weapons to assure their security, and hint that the “other nations and territories” could include Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the “territory” of Taiwan. And subtly suggest that the U.S. may help other nations attain nuclear parity with North Korea.
Given that China may not want to be surrounded by nuclear-armed countries, it may rethink its policy toward North Korea.
Almost all of North Korea's exports are either to China, or through China to elsewhere. Some 90% of its aid comes from China. China is the only country it has air links with, and a rail line into.
How much leverage does China have over North Korea?
So how do we persuade China to put the screws on North Korea? Perhaps the best policy is for the U.S. to announce it has given up on stopping nuclear proliferation along the Pacific Rim. The U.S. could say that it is resigned to accepting that other nations and territories in the area may need nuclear weapons to assure their security, and hint that the “other nations and territories” could include Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the “territory” of Taiwan. And subtly suggest that the U.S. may help other nations attain nuclear parity with North Korea.
Given that China may not want to be surrounded by nuclear-armed countries, it may rethink its policy toward North Korea.