Economics
Lack of Options on North Korea Presses China to Shift Policy
- U.S. expended political capital securing deal with Iran
- Diplomats question China threshold for ending Pyongyang cover
Korea Meteorological Administration members dicuss seismic waves coming from North Korea. Photographer: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
This article is for subscribers only.
North Korea has thumbed its nose at the world for decades. The question now is whether its pursuit of a hydrogen bomb may have irritated China, its biggest trading partner, enough to pave the way for tougher sanctions at the United Nations.
The West has run out of options to rein in Kim Jong Un. The U.S. has exhausted its diplomatic capital on securing a nuclear deal with Iran. That puts pressure on China, which has led recent efforts to bring the regime back from the diplomatic wilderness.