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Abstract
China-U.S. cooperation over the most difficult security problem in Northeast Asia—the North Korean nuclear issue—in essence projects its bigger power game amid the tectonic shifts of Asian geopolitics. The nuclear issue affords a test case to gauge the future posture of China and the United States in East Asia and their partnership in that conflict-prone region. Approaches to resolving this issue must take into account the geopolitical realignment of Asia, Washington's reorientation of relations with its Asian allies, and China's rise as an influential regional player and the subsequent regional response. However, the long-standing mistrust between China and the United States is contributing to a lack of substantial progress in Korean nonproliferation efforts. The declared nuclear test by Pyongyang further put the denuclearization cooperation between China and the Unites States on the line. China-U.S. cooperation in denuclearizing Pyongyang may either produce lasting stability for the region or create ‘‘collateral damage,’’ with the North Korean issue paling in comparison.
The author owes special thanks to Jason Cheng Qian, Sean M. Lynn-Jones, Walt Kato, Joseph Nye, Graham Allison, and anonymous reviewers of The Nonproliferation Review for helpful comments on the draft. The author is also grateful to numerous colleagues and interviewees for sharing their perspectives.
Notes
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3. Chinese analyst (name withheld by request), interview by author, Singapore, Dec. 18, 2004.
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5. Glenn Kessler, “On Asia Trip, Rice to Nudge Allies on North Korea,” Washington Post, March 13, 2005, p. A23.
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25. As a negotiating position introduced by the United States during the six-party talks, CVID encompassed a set of conditions to which North Korea must commit and demonstrate tangible progress before the United States would begin any reciprocal measures.
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