APLN Policy Brief 25

The following is a summary. Click on the adjacent link to download the full brief.

Despite strong global opposition, North Korea is the only country in the world that has conducted nuclear weapon tests in the 21st century. China remains a decisive force in stabilizing the situation in the region, and perhaps the only actor able to bring all the concerned parties back to the negotiation table. But China’s role cannot replace the obligations of other important parties, particularly North Korea and the United States. The nuclear crisis is in essence a bilateral dispute between these two countries and both need to display strong political will to negotiate a peaceful solution. The ball really is in the U.S.’s court. Unfortunately, the incoming Trump administration in 2017 is believed to be a wild card in this respect.

About the Author

Major-General (ret’d) Pan Zhenqiang joined the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in 1963 and served in the Department of the General Staff for over two decades. After 1986, he was research fellow and director at the Institute of Strategic Studies, PLA National Defense University until his retirement in 2001. He is presently deputy chairman of the China Foundation for Interna-tional Studies and senior adviser to the China Reform Forum.

Image: iStock, Oleksii Liskonih.