Page 62 - Trilateral Korea Japan U.S. Cooperation

One of the reasons U.S. administrations give for not publicly
criticizing the PRC is that in order to gain China’s help with
North Korea, the United States must overlook the Chinese
Communist Party’s human rights record. One case in point:
the Clinton administration intentionally “de-linked” human
rights from the U.S.-China relationship nearly two decades
ago, although that had more to do with money and business
than North Korea per se.

Other Reasons

There are other reasons why the PRC supports and protects
the Kim regime. First, there is always the chance of unifying
the Korean Peninsula under North Korean control. This may
be a long shot, and Beijing is presumably not quite sure how
it would work out, especially if North Korea were to acquire
South Korea’s economic resources and its military forces. But
for now, that’s a problem into the future.

Second, South Korean leftist administrations are soft on or
lean toward North Korea and this strains the U.S. -Korea
alliance. Leftist administrations in South Korea have not fatally
damaged the alliance yet. But they have caused considerable
friction, as seen most recently during the Moon Jae-In
administration. Beyond the political challenges, this included
the cancelling and downsizing of certain key military exercises
and slowed efforts to improve joint operational capabilities.
China is glad to have the alliance stressed, and an intact North
Korea keeps South Korean domestic politics roiled, which puts
pressure on the alliance between Washington and Seoul.

Chapter Three : Beijing Prefers an Aggressive and Provocative North Korea 61