The high-altitude system would achieve none of its stated goals if deployed, but would shake the fragile trust of Beijing and Moscow toward Washington. The US should learn some lessons from the Cuban missile crisis and NATO’s eastward expansion, understand and respect other countries’ security concerns, and take some concrete measures to ease instead of aggravate the tension in the Korean Peninsula.

Pyongyang should pay a price for its violation of Security Council resolutions, but punishment by itself will not magically solve the nuclear problem. If sanctions could not be translated into a strategic rethink, they will only add more pain to the ordinary North Koreans' already miserable life.

While the world’s attention has been focused on North Korea’s recent nuclear test and satellite launch, important developments regarding the nuclear issue were also taking place in South Korea. Recent developments suggest that the patience of the South Korean people and some members of the political elite is wearing thin.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold talks this week in Washington to discuss how to deal with North Korea's latest nuclear test and launch of a long-range rocket, China's foreign ministry said Monday.

The United States and China have been in discussions about the possible deployment of an advanced American missile defense system in South Korea, a diplomatic source with knowledge of the matter said Monday.

Many U.S. policymakers see China as the answer to North Korean proliferation, but the People’s Republic of China has not yet proved willing to abandon its sole ally. China’s interest is almost purely negative, avoiding what the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea could become.

In Chinese academic and policy circles, emotional attachment to North Korea is steadily draining away, which creates an opportunity for Washington to persuade the PRC to change its policy toward the nation.

Amidst Chinese and U.S. opposition, North Korea has amplified its pressure on South Korea and allies through its weapons development. However, China has opposed U.S. deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea, which could halt progress.

Previous U.S.-China issues of friction are becoming magnified again: Taiwai-Strait militarization, tension on the Korean Peninsula, maritime tension in the East and South China Seas, and security issues in cyberspace. Zhang Tuosheng calls on both nations to improve their desire to not seek conflict as a solution, strengthen and improve their liaison mechanism, enhance the role of research, and hold joint meetings.

America’s long-standing affront with North Korea needs fresh approaches, especially considering its increasingly disruptive international actions. Ted Carpenter proposes that instead of trying to increase unilateral sanctions on Pyongyang, Washington should make a concerted effort to reduce tensions with Kim Jong-un’s regime by creating a united front with China and Russia.