Publication

This commentary discusses the implications of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s state visit to South Korea in July 2014. It argues that the visit highlights China’s interest in further nurturing economic ties with South Korea and that it sent North Korea an unambiguous message about its destabilizing pursuit of nuclear weapons. The author then addresses the fragile security situation in Northeast Asia, South Korea’s role in maintaining a stable regional order, and the challenges facing Seoul as it manages the tensions between its economic ties to China and strategic links to the US.