The recently held joint military drills by the US and South Korea has predictably provoked a storm from North Korea who has called these drills a “security crisis” and had threatened to upgrade its military and nuclear arsenal. Former ambassador and Korea expert Vishnu Prakashbelieves Pyongyang is using these drills as a pretext to raise the rhetoric to gain President Biden’s attention but what should one really be focussing on is China. Prakash believes Beijing, which will be watching events closely, will do everything it can to prevent any form of détente as they fear American boots in North Korea. On the other hand, President Xi has not been pleased with Kim Jong Un in the past and the rise of Delta variant Covid cases in China could complicate the resumption of trade. All in all, though, the fact that the US-China relationship is at an all-time low with China repeatedly ignoring US edicts on sanctions on Iran and North Korea suggests that little is going to change.

Podcast Producer : Manas R. Tarai