Relations between China and North Korea are changing. China no longer perceives North Korea as a buffer state and North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong-un has been pursuing a more assertive approach towards China. But China is not giving up on the regime and Chinese thinkers are suggesting a series of Chinese-style reforms for the regime in Pyongyang. But is it in North Korea’s interest to follow China’s advice on reform and opening up? The latest issue of China Analysis reveals a lively debate over the future of China’s North Korean policy. The recent leadership change in North Korea is an opportunity for Chinese commentators to rethink some of the key issues linked to China’s approach towards the Korean peninsula.
Summary
– GAMING NORTH KOREA –
Beijing’s message to Pyongyang (François Godement)
Failure to launch: the North Korean satellite test and China’s influence on the Korean peninsula (Antoine Bondaz)
Chinese perspectives on North Korea’s economic reform (Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga)
The conflict between Seoul and Beijing over illegal North Korean immigrants (David Péneau)