China says yes—Beijing wants stability in the Korean Peninsula

Li Nan [author of letter below], "Debating North Korea: US and Chinese perspectives," Brookings, letters compiled by Susan A. Thornton, Li Nan, and Juliet Lee, 08-27-2021, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/debating-north-korea-us-and-chinese-perspectives/-- 嘉玮

China’s strategic interests in the Korean Peninsula are to maintain amicable relations with both Koreas and to ensure a stable and nuclear-free peninsula. China is seriously concerned about the DPRK’s nuclear and missile programs, and that it might encourage other countries in the region to develop its own nuclear programs, which is against China’s security interests. There is no doubt that China takes a strong stance on this issue, as demonstrated by the four China-DPRK summits held since 2018. It is also why China has not conducted military exercises with the DPRK and has never provided military assistance to the DPRK, in contrast with the U.S.-ROK alliance. And much to the DPRK’s dissatisfaction, China’s Ministry of Commerce still enforces sanctions that prevent the exports of chemicals and metals considered “strategic assets” to the DPRK.