As the status of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's health continues to linger, some think now could be prime time for a Chinese takeover of Pyongyang, according to Foreign Policy.
China, which already has a presence on the peninsula, could be looking at this moment as a chance to seize more power in North Korea to pad its insulation against U.S. allies South Korea and Japan, Foreign Policy's Michael Auslin argued.
He said Beijing could use more of its economic muscle to gain political control in North Korea, or it could simply set up shop physically in the country.
The coronavirus pandemic might provide a massive smokescreen behind which China could enter North Korea under the guise of humanitarianism, Auslin said. Bribing North Korean military leaders lined up along the border would help China march a clear path toward Pyongyang. It would also help China align with regime leaders in North Korea before taking over the country.
Auslin said forging a deeper alliance would give China a naval and airforce presence in North Korea, allowing China to directly challenge the United States across the Demilitarized Zone.
A tighter bond between the two nations could also force the weaker South Korea to align with China, which would isolate Japan as the sole ally in the region, according to Auslin.
That is why the United States needs to equip Japan with highly advanced weapons systems to withstand any potential push from China. And U.S. diplomats, Auslin said, must let China know the United States remains committed to keeping Indo-Pacific free and "unaltered," whether Kim Jong Un is ruling North Korea or not.
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