In engaging with North Korea, the Biden administration must avoid the “strategic patience” employed during the Obama years. China may be in the prime position to mediate between Pyongyang and Washington.

Iran is blaming Israel for the assassination, but its response has been restrained. It doesn’t want to provoke Trump into launching a last-minute attack on its nuclear facilities. But the guns are locked and loaded. When will the shooting begin?

Cooperating over North Korea is essential for both China and the U.S. – not just for the good of the DPRK, but for the Sino-American relationship at large.

North Korea’s responses often seem tied to a “nothing more to lose” calculation. But good negotiators might be able to make a gesture over the bargaining table that could make all the difference. The window may not be open long.

Absent some substantive progress, the Korean Peninsula situation may well deteriorate significantly this year. To prevent a new escalation, the international community should make the DPRK aware of exactly what the red lines are.

The tasks and timelines are complex, but it’s still possible to end the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula once and for all. Time is short.

The DPRK must have security guarantees. Once the Pyongyang regime’s continuity is ensured, it can embark on a path to economic stability and growth, which in turn can ease its foreign policy.

The DPRK and United States have dug in their heels, but a window of opportunity remains. Step-by-step reduction and verification agreed by both sides is the only realistic way to solve the problem over time.

Although denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula remains a priority for China, the US, Russia, and both Koreas, there remain significant gaps to address before the diplomatic process can be successful.