In the short to medium term, China has the most to gain diplomatically from radically improved relations between North and South Korea. China did not seem uneasy about improved relations between the United States and North Korea. At the same time, neither would it mind to play a more central role in Korean affairs as a country having good relations with both the North and the South. From China s point of view, a breakthrough in North-South Korean relations is consistent with its other interests. China prefers peace and stability on the peninsula, maintaining a balance between North and South, and avoiding any conflict into which China could be drawn.
China is particularly interested in preventing the collapse of North Korea.
An improved relationship between North and South Korea, and the resultant improvement in North Korean economic situation, will not only help prevent the collapse of North Korea but also obviate the need to provide massive assistance to it. For the United States, a sudden and radical change in the situation on the Korean Peninsula could be seen as a mixed blessing. The United States shares with China many of the same objectives, including peace and stability as well as preventing a sudden collapse of North Korea. This policy resulted from the conclusion that bringing about a sudden collapse of North Korea was neither feasible nor desirable under the existing circumstances. A thaw between the two Koreas would be quite consistent with this aspect of U.S. policy and interest.