| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Purpose-The purpose of this article is to examine China's policy toward North Korea under the Xi Jinping leadership from 2012 to the present.
Design/methodology/approach-It is designed to analyze China's changing attitudes and policy toward North Korea in the post-Kim Jong-Il era with emphasis on the analysis of the Xi Jinping leadership's policy toward the Kim Jong-Un regime. The approach is qualitative and expository, utilizing Chinese, Japanese, Korean and English source materials.
Findings-Unlike its predecessor, which regarded the prevention of the collapse of the North Korean regime as the top priority of China's Korea policy, the Xi Jinping leadership regards the preservation of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as the top priority of its Korea policy, for the outbreak of a war on the Korean Peninsula could seriously undermine China's security interest by embroiling it in an unwanted war. Unlike its predecessors, the Xi leadership is serious about the elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
Originality/value-The value of the article lies in its explanation for the change in the priority of China's policy from the survival of the North Korean regime to the preservation of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. In addition, it helps to explain why China under the Xi Jinping leadership has become not only more serious about opposing Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program but also more cooperative with the U.S. and other powers for the denuclearization of North Korea.
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