CHINA US Focus - Perspectives shaping the world's most important bilateral relationship

While tensions on the Korean Peninsula have slowly began to dissipate, Nathan Beuchamp-Mustafaga delves into the complex issue of how China uses North Korea as leverage in the U.S.-China relationship and provides policy responses for the United States. If the U.S. focused more on Kim Jong-un and less on Xi Jinping, progress could be made toward resolving the current crisis.

Kerry’s latest visit to China and other prior visits by Obama administration’s high-ranking civilian and military officials has shown that the bilateral relationship between the US and China has safely passed the transition period and will gain greater momentum in its development.

Throughout the recent tensions on the Korean Peninsula, it is often forgot that South Korea had an active nuclear program during the 1970s under Park Chung-hee. Given the provocations of Kim Jong-un, Ted Carpenter discusses the implications of a nuclear South Korea.

Secretary of State John Kerry recently traveled to China in order to encourage further pressure on Pyongyang. Although Beijing is clearly upset with North Korea, Doug Bandow believes that Zhongnanhai will only act if it is in China’s interest.

How China and the U.S. relationship benefits from the provocative behavior from North Korea remains to be seen. Yet in a meeting between John Kerry and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, an agreement was reached on finding a peaceful way to ensure a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.

In response to the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea’s third nuclear test conducted on 12 February, 2013, the UN Security Council unanimously passed a new resolution on March 7 to impose additional sanctions on the country.