China and the United States should cooperate to remove the fundamental causes of failure — lack of trust, differing definitions of denuclearization, timetables and peace mechanisms — while accounting for the DPRK’s wariness of the so-called Libya model.

North Korea has presented an issue to both China and the U.S. since the ceasefire halted the Korean War in 1953. Though both nations share common security interests regarding the Hermit Kingdom, the desired outcome may drive a wedge between them.

A fundamental shift in thinking is needed under which inspections become an interactive, two-way process. The accusatory hunt for a presumed cheater that has been used in the past needs to change. What's needed is a process that builds trust and provides incentives for cooperation.

Although bilateral relations face many difficulties this year, it’s possible — so long as the DPRK and the ROK understand and respect each other — to seize strategic opportunities for a new phase of reconciliation and cooperation. In that case, the re-emergence of the Peninsula Spring may be expected.

North Korea’s standoffish relationship with the U.S. is often viewed in a silo - yet the hermetic country lies at the center of East Asia’s major economies. Biden’s approach to North Korea may come wrapped in regional diplomacy rather than singular overtures to the isolated nation.

The country unveiled its economic approach at the Eighth National Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea. It faces serious obstacles, starting with its emphasis on self-reliance and an inefficient planned economy.

Cooperating over North Korea is essential for both China and the U.S. – not just for the good of the DPRK, but for the Sino-American relationship at large.

One cost of the deteriorating Sino-American relationship is that it encourages North Korean intransigence regarding the inter-Korean peace process. If the U.S. and China want to avoid a repeat of the Korean War, it is up to both great powers to pursue policies which incentivize North Korean compliance.

North Korea’s responses often seem tied to a “nothing more to lose” calculation. But good negotiators might be able to make a gesture over the bargaining table that could make all the difference. The window may not be open long.

Absent some substantive progress, the Korean Peninsula situation may well deteriorate significantly this year. To prevent a new escalation, the international community should make the DPRK aware of exactly what the red lines are.