China’s Policy toward the DPRK’s Nuclear and Missile Programs

Abstract

The nuclear and missile programs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have attracted considerable attention on the part of the international community in recent years. This is not only due to the issue of nonproliferation, as it also concerns East Asian regional security and the international relationships among the DPRK, the United States (US), China, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and others. As a close neighbor, China has its own interests and concerns vis-à-vis the DPRK and has played its unique role in handling the DPRK’s nuclear and missile programs.