Four Kilograms to Tip the Scale: China's Exploitation of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis

Abstract

China has incentives to exploit the North Korean nuclear crisis to exact diplomatic, economic and security advantages. The inherent dangers involved in the crisis (that it sparks a nuclear cascade or regional proliferation of nuclear weapons, that Japan will build a more offensive military as a deterrent, that North Korea could explosively collapse, or that the United States will preemptively strike Pyongyang and start a regional conflict) do not completely constrain China's foreign policy decisions. Furthermore, Beijing enjoys a certain coercive influence over Pyongyang as the old 'lips and teeth' relationship eroded to one of mild indifference or embarrassment allowing China to exploit its little brother. To this end, the crisis offers Beijing opportunities at gaining regional leadership, greater economic development, and affords certain positive consequences for the Taiwan issue.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA475881

Entities

People

  • John M. Ives

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arms Control
  • Economic Development
  • Foreign Policy
  • Geography
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • International Security
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • North Korea
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Signals Intelligence
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.
  • Strategic Security Studies