Commercial ties aren’t everything. DPRK is still useful inasmuch as it diverts diplomatic attention from China’s own shenanigans, and force concessions whenever the world queues up to ask the Chinese leadership to “do something, anything” about their ugly stepchild. Is it a coincidence, for example, that these tests happen at a point when tension in the South China Sea are off the charts? Maybe, maybe not. But it’s a safe bet that SCS will be mentioned whenever Chinese sit down with counterparts to talk about DPRK.
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