Economic growth in China has flatlined while political turmoil has flared. The Chinese government is unlikely to lose power in the near term, but these trends still pose risks to North Korea, raising the question of whether Pyongyang will adjust its course in response.

While China’s economic and political changes over the past few months do not signal the imminent, or even near-term, loss of power for the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the speed at which economic conditions have worsened, and the unexpected political developments that have happened in tandem, render China noticeably weaker than