As Sarah kindly shared, China suspended coal imports from North Korea, which is expected to a blow to the North Korean economy as China accounts for 90% of their trade and coal is their number one export and accounts for 35% of their economy. This is a sign of China and North Korea’s deteriorating relationship, which previously was viewed as a strong alliance. In response to the suspension of coal imports, North Korea use strong language saying that China has “mean behavior” and “dancing to the tune of the U.S.” Many experts are shocked by the Chinese taking strong action to further the U.N sanctions and North Korea’s retaliatory speech. It seems now that even with stronger sanctions by their primary ally that North Korea will be difficult to stop.
As Yan Xuetong, the director of the Institute of International Studies at Tsinghua University puts it, “In terms of diplomacy, I see no solution…China had no choice but to accept the North as a nuclear-armed state. That was because China had only two options: either a nuclear North Korea that was friendly toward China or a nuclear North Korea that was unfriendly.”
It seems like the United States and the rest of world who never had friendly relationships with North Korea might be left with only one option, a nuclear-armed North Korea and that might restart or already restarting a nuclear arms race. Which entity, international organization or country will be able to stop it?