South Korea Appeals to China for Mediation in North Korean Nuclear Standoff – But Will Beijing Act?

In a revealing move exposing the fragile state of diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung publicly called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to act as a mediator to ease tensions with North Korea and restart nuclear negotiations. Yet, this appeal highlights a critical question: can we rely on Beijing—the primary enabler of Pyongyang’s regime—to safeguard American and allied security interests? Why Is China Still Blocking Progress on Denuclearization? President Lee’s request came during his summit with Xi in Beijing earlier this week, where patience was the key message from Chinese leadership. This so-called patience translates...