Institute for Chinese Studies presents:
"China’s Relationship with the Two Koreas: Insecurity, Nuclear Weapons, and Distraction"
Robert Kelly
Pusan National University
Abstract: Despite China’s rise, Beijing has struggled to build alliances. It faces a ring of regional states, from North Korea to India, deeply wary of its intentions. China’s awkward relationship with both Koreas reflects that. It has proven unable to capitalize on Korean resentment toward Japan and pull either Korea into its orbit definitively. Beijing has been unable to prevent North Korean nuclearization or alignment with Russia, and it is so unpopular in South Korea, that the South cleaves to the US despite Trump’s disinterest for allies. This talk argues that China’s ambitions in the East and South China Seas are constrained by its refusal to accommodate in northeast Asia.
Robert Kelly (@Robert_E_Kelly) is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at the Pusan National University in South Korea. His PhD is from Ohio State University. His interests focus on security in Northeast Asia, especially the Koreas, and US foreign policy. He has published in academic journals such as the European Journal of International Relations, the International Studies Review, and the Pacific Review, as well as popular outlets such as Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, and the New York Review of Books. His complete writing may be found at his webpage: www.RobertEdwinKelly.com.