Abstract:
The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the China’s change and continuity foreign
policy towards North Korea’s nuclear weapon program. China playing an
important role in the issue of North Korean nuclear crisis where China as
stakeholder in East Asian region recognized as a “blood-ally” for North Korea.
On the other hand, China’s greater role in the international community due to its
boost economic development require China’s increasing responsibility to promote
security in global affairs, particularly to its position as permanent member of
Security Council that has responsibility for world’s security and sanctions the
North Korea due to its nuclear weapon program.
Officially China’s does not support the North Korea’s nuclear weapon
program as what has been shown by its action to favour the UN sanctions towards
North Korea on nuclear weapon program issue. However China is tied to North
Korea as a “blood-allies” through the Treaty of Friendship (1961) that comprises
important issues of its alliance including economy and security between both
countries. In addition despite of its unfavoured towards North Korean nuclear
weapon program, China arguably protecting the North Korean’s regime from any
harsh sanctions that could resulted sudden collapse to regime by using its
leverage over North Korea and international community. It can be understand that
there are national interests from China over the issue of North Korea nuclear
weapon program that are correlated with other issues including geopolitics
interests and other interests in strategic issues internally and externally that makes
this issue interesting to analyzes.
