Conventional wisdom suggests that North Korea will soon put the brakes on weapons testing so as not to create headaches for its main ally and benefactor China during the start of its landmark Party Congress this weekend.

However, tensions on the peninsula are accelerating so quickly that this might not be the case anymore.

Kim Jong Un has plenty of reason to stay on Xi Jinping’s good side as the Chinese leader sets himself up for an unprecedented third term.

China is the DPRK’s largest economic supporter, and relations between the