[Analysis] China's Quiet Retreat From North Korean Denuclearization

12.01.2026

By Jinwan Park, a nonresident fellow at the European Centre for North Korean Studies and co-founder of the U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Next-Gen Study Group.

In a Foreign Policy article, Jinwan Park explains the strategic logic behind China's quiet retreat from its long-standing emphasis on North Korean denuclearization, and why this approach may not eventually serve China’s regional interests. 

The article can be accessed here: foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/09/china-north-korea-denuclearization-xi-jinping-lee-kim/