North Korea, in spite of the diplomatic pressure and economic sanctions, has repeatedly defied the international community on its nuclear program. One widely accepted explanation is that China, North Korea’s most important ally, has shielded the regime from international pressure. The logical solution, therefore, is to enhance the sanctions and have China tighten the screw on North Korea. Under the “strategic patience” policy, the U.S. and its allies will not respond to North Korea until it decides to denuclearize.

In the meantime, the international community has put a lot of pressure on China to use