China’ role in the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula has gained heightened international attention since denuclearization talks have come to a halt. Dong Ryul Lee, a professor at Dongduk Women's University, states that China has been relatively inactive since the breakdown of the Hanoi summit with the underlying presupposition that the North Korean nuclear problem is a long-term issue. He emphasizes that "China’s role" will likely increase in future denuclearization negotiations. Yet due to domestic constraints, China is unlikely to participate as actively in the peacebuilding initiative on the Korean Peninsula as South Korea may hope for. [Read Commentary]
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