Trade frictions between the U.S. and China may seem unrelated to North Korea’s denuclearization, but there are a number of potential spillover effects that could influence the trajectory of deal-making on the peninsula.

That’s because a protracted trade war could interfere with both the carrots and the sticks being used to persuade the North to denuclearize.

The trade war could reduce (or might have already reduced) Beijing’s willingness to implement United Nations sanctions against the North. Sanctions are the key source of leverage driving the North to consider a strategic shift