China Doubts US Data on North Korean Nuclear Work

As diplomatic jousting over East Asian security continues, the United States received a public blow from China. Questioning the accuracy of US intelligence on North Korea's nuclear arsenal, a Chinese official essentially communicated Beijing's unwillingness to pressure its neighbor. The Bush administration had appealed previously to China, North Korea's only significant ally, to aid in dismantling Kim Jong-il's nuclear program. According to The New York Times, analysts suggest that China prioritizes the security of its northeastern border over "the possibility that North Korea has a small and so far untested nuclear arsenal." Could this be a reaction to the US-Japan stance on Taiwan? Or was the announcement merely a public relations move aimed to placate Pyongyang? Within the matrix of Asian regional security, only one thing remains certain: Questions abound. – YaleGlobal