Need more wonk stuff? Then read Esther Pan’s background report on the China-North Korea relationship. SPOILER ALERT: Here’s the conclusion:
Despite the tensions caused by the recent missile tests, the relationship will likely continue to be close. Each side has too much invested in the other to drastically change the situation, experts say. If North Korea continues to test missiles, it’s possible that China will react more strongly than it has in the past. Most of the nations involved in the crisis will try to bring North Korea back to the Six-Party Talks. But after that, it is unclear what happens next. “Everyone who deals with North Korea recognizes them as a very unstable actor,” Sneider says.
However, some experts say North Korea is acting assertively both in its relationship with China and on the larger world stage. “The North Koreans are developing a much more realist approach to their foreign policy,” Pinkston says. “They’re saying imbalances of power are dangerous and the United States has too much power—so by increasing their own power they’re helping to balance out world stability. It’s neo-realism straight out of an International Relations textbook.”
(HT to reader)
3 Comments
“Most of the nations involved in the crisis will try to bring North Korea back to the Six-Party Talks.”
Who really thinks the six-party talks are ever going to happen? Seems that they’re deader than a doornail at this point. Myabe they’ll be on again if a Democrat gets in in 2008. Still won’t change the fact that any agreement will likely be worthless.
Ah, so the Norks launched the missiles towards Japan to help balance world stability. Peace through arms development. Truly ironic words from a man who works for a place called The Center for Non-proliferation Studies.
Sonagi, I think you are perhaps misreading this. The author of the piece is not saying North Korea is creating stability, but instead is saying that is what the North claims they are doing. From a neo-realist perspective by making themselves and China stronger in comparison to the US that is what they are doing. To some extent it is the same theory as MAD. Again according to a neo realist perspective not neccisarily the perspective of someone from the center for non-proliferation studies