Chinese Quote by Robert M. Gates
“It's clear the relationship between China and North Korea has hardly ever been worse. Kim Jong-un has never been to Beijing in his leadership. The Chinese press are saying some amazingly negative things about the north, and about Kim Jong-un. So - so they are weighing in, and they are bringing greater pressure. Whether it will be enough I think remains to be seen.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Press briefing, 2018, United States Department of State
The relationship between China and North Korea is deteriorating, with increased Chinese criticism and pressure on Kim Jong-un, but it is unclear if this will change North Korea’s behavior.
In simple terms: China is pressuring North Korea, but results are uncertain.
Key Takeaway
Monitor diplomatic signals and prepare contingency plans.
Themes
geopolitics
China‑North Korea relations
pressures
Mood
tense
uncertain
Type
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- foreign affairs
- risk assessment
Key Concepts
strategic signaling
regional stability
Questions to Reflect On
- What diplomatic steps could improve the situation?
- How might North Korea respond to sustained Chinese criticism?
A Different Perspective
China’s economic leverage may be limited; North Korea’s internal dynamics could resist external pressure.
![“North Korea is a necrocracy, or a mauselocracy or a thanatocracy in which the one [Kim Il-sung] is diffused into being with the other [Kim Jong Il], and where both of them are said to have had miraculous births attended by miraculous phenomena such as, for example, birds singing in Korean, when…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c06/christopher-hitchens-117_bird_north-korea-is-a-necrocracy-or-a-mauselo_857952.jpg)
