President Xi will have been watching the meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un with bated breath, because their meeting is vital for the future of Chinese power.
China and North Korea have enjoyed close ties since the dawn of Asian communism. Mao’s own son died on the frontlines of the Korean War, fighting for North Korea. And while North Korea has had sanctions applied to it for decades, China has steadfastly provided support – both economic and strategic. Only a small part of this was ideological.
As China opened and reformed, the Kim brand of Communism became less palatable to Beijing and not worth fighting for. Regardless, China needs North Korea, because it serves as a physical buffer against American-allied Asia: South Korea, Japan, Taiwan. North Korea could act as a useful satellite state, supporting China’s regional control, if only it would liberalise and prosper. For
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