The China-North Korea Strategic Rift: Background and Implications for the United States

This report surveys the history behind the China-North Korea relationship and examines the strategic rift between the two countries that recently rekindled Beijing’s longstanding fear that North Korea could jeopardize China’s interests in negotiations with the United States and South Korea. It also analyzes the steps Beijing has taken in recent years to forestall any attempt by Pyongyang to stray from its orbit. The report concludes by assessing the implications for U.S. policy of the deeply rooted tension between China and North Korea in the context of intensifying U.S.-China competition.