Chinese Foreign Relations

By whose example? Analyzing Sino-DPRK Media Portrayals of Relations in 2018

By | January 08, 2019

Oxford University’s Tom Fowdy sums up the year of Chinese-North Korean diplomacy, finding self-interest galore amid the statements of eternal brotherhood.

The Korean Peninsula and Great Power Geopolitics: Then and Now

By | November 05, 2018

Anthony Rinna returns with a look at how the history of international relations in late 19th and early 20th Northeast Asia can help inform us of the possible future trajectory of Beijing-Moscow ties.

Responsibility Theory: Russian and US Policy Analysis of China’s Role in the Korea Crisis

By | August 03, 2018

Anthony Rinna considers how the Kremlin and Washington differ in their views on China’s role in the Korea crisis by looking at Russian and American think tank research.

Symbol and Substance: China’s Scramble for Influence in the Korean Peace Process

By | May 30, 2018

Chinese pressure on North Korea during 2017 served to accelerate declining relations between the two. Now, with peace ostensibly looming, China wants to reverse course. Tom Fowdy looks at the challenges faced.

Moon’s Hedging Strategy: Foreign Policy in South Korea

By | December 18, 2017

Squeezed between Pyongyang’s nuclear trajectory, Trump and Abe’s enthusiastic pursuit of “maximum pressure,” and THAAD-induced bilateral stress emanating from Beijing, Moon Jae-in is attempting to protect not only the interests of the Republic of Korea, but also its place in the world.

Chinese Discourse on the New North Korea Sanctions

By | September 12, 2017

How have Chinese officials and periodicals been discussing trade with and sanctions on North Korea? Adam Cathcart investigates.

Korean People’s Army Contacts with the Chinese Military

By | August 21, 2017

The perception that China and North Korea no longer have the extensive bilateral contacts that they once did may be broadly speaking correct, but it is by no means the whole story. Here, Adam Cathcart brings to our attention an official event from July 25, 2017.

Lumps of Coal: How China’s Demand for Russia’s Natural Resources Affects North Korea Sanctions Enforcement

By | August 13, 2017

Anthony Rinna investigates the Russian role in the DPRK sanctions system, focusing on the country’s potential to export high-quality coal to China as a replacement for the DPRK.