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The Regional Impact of Chinese Economic Activity in North Korea

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China's Economic Engagement in North Korea

Part of the book series: Palgrave Series in Asia and Pacific Studies ((PSAPS))

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Abstract

This chapter discusses the impact of China’s economic activities in North Korea on the regional security order of Northeast Asia with a focus on the Korean Peninsula. First, to encourage North Korea’s economic ‘opening up’, and to avoid regime collapse in Pyongyang. China’s economic activities offer enough funding to North Korea to improve its attractiveness, in terms of physical infrastructure, to external funding from other countries. Second, China’s control of North Korea’s fishery resources reduces South Korea’s fishery development in North Korea. It intensifies China-South Korea ocean disputes and leads to the failure of negotiations. Furthermore, Chinese economic activities reduce the effectiveness of US economic aid and subsequently delay the denuclearisation of North Korea through dialogue in the Six Party Talks.

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Gao, B. (2019). The Regional Impact of Chinese Economic Activity in North Korea. In: China's Economic Engagement in North Korea. Palgrave Series in Asia and Pacific Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0887-1_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0887-1_5

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-0886-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-0887-1

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