Charles Armstrong on China and the 'Spoiled Child'
A key revelation to emerge from last week's WikiLeaks dump of US diplomatic cables is that China's attitude towards North Korea is far more nuanced and unpredictable than its official stance suggests. The leaked cables indicate, for instance, that Chinese government officials have referred to North Korea as "a spoiled child"—and, even more momentously, that they are willing to entertain the idea of a unified Korea governed from Seoul, in the event North Korea's regime collapses.
Asia Society Associate Fellow and Director of the Center for Korean Research at Columbia University Charles Armstrong appeared on PBS's Need to Know to assess these revelations about China's attitude towards North Korea, and what they mean for US policy in the region.
Watch Charles Armstrong (10 min., 34 sec.)
Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.