IntelBrief: China as the Third Player in the Hanoi Summit

• The second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, held on February 28, produced no substantial outcomes in the goal of denuclearizing North Korea.
• Another state with significant stakes in the North Korean crisis is China, who is closely observing the U.S.-North Korean relations with ambivalence.
• North Korea remains China’s closest ally and trading partner and the potential of normalized relations with the U.S. threatens China’s traditional sphere of influence on the Korean Peninsula.
• At the same time, North Korea’s increasing isolationist approach and nuclear capability threatens China’s hard security interests, with the worst-case scenario being U.S. troops on China’s borders.
• It is important that Washington understands and includes Beijing’s role in any strategic and diplomatic calculations when dealing with North Korea.

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