When asking how China arrives at its North Korea policy, perhaps we should ask: which China? And which policy?

Kevin Gray of the University of Sussex treats China’s approach to North Korea not simply as one originating in Beijing – though the distinct opinions of the Communist Party heads in the capital certainly play a role – but also factors in the regional interests of those areas that border the North.

The provinces of Liaoning and Jilin, for instance, have struggled to keep up with the development of the rest of the country, and their regional positioning means that the economic