With the White House and Beijing seemingly growing closer to a consensus on the need for strong action to reign in North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile program, some are skeptical that China will follow through and crack down on its bellicose neighbor.

Experts in Japan, for one, are divided over how serious China really is about North Korea sanctions.

One predicts Chinese President Xi Jinping will try to avoid any disputes with U.S. President Trump by tightening sanctions against North Korea, especially when China holds the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in autumn, an epoch-making