In the backdrop of rising tensions in the US standoff with North Korea, the question of China’s position in the conflict is growing more important. Although China's state media earlier said China would help North Korea if the US would attempt to overthrow its government, some renowned Chinese experts hold a different view. On the evening of August 10, the state-owned Global Times published an editorial that clarified that in the case of an altercation between North Korea and the US, it would not help North Korea if it would first launch missiles on US territory, but that it would intervene if the US attacked first and would try to overthrow North Korea’s government. Some of China’s most prominent experts on the issue, however, hold a different view.  An article in the United Morning Paper (Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报), the largest Singapore-based Chinese-language newspaper, quoted Zhang Liangui, Professor at the International Department of the Central Committee (CC) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and a noted North Korea specialist as saying that “The Cold War is over – there will be no re-staging of the 1950s ‘Resist USA, Help North Korea.'”   Professor Zhang Liangui added that  China will be unlikely to intervene in the matter, no matter who attacks first. Professor Zhang Liangui said that North Korea is now destroying peace and stability in Northeast Asia, and that taking military actions against Pyongyang would not be unreasonable: “According to Chapter VII of the United Nations Charters, if the Security Council considers the actions of a state an endangerment to world peace, they can take sanctions against this state – also military ones.” He also said: “Although China principally does not agree with resolving disputes through military force, it is clear that the culprit of this problem is North Korea. (..) China has no reason to get involved in this conflict.”   “It is better to keep a neutral position than to side with North Korea.”   The United Morning Paper also quoted the international relations scholar Deng Yuwen, who said: “China should consider how any involvement in [this] war would impact Sino-US relations. It is better to keep a neutral position than to side with North Korea.” The article made was circulated on Weibo on August 13. The Weibo post attracted over 218 shares, 800 likes and 430 reactions. Although the rising tensions between USA and North Korea are making international headlines, the issue is not among the main trending topics on Sina Weibo. The announcement that China, implementing UN sanctions, will stop importing coal, iron ore, fish, and other goods did trigger some online discussions on August 14. Most commenters say that they still think it is too weak of a sanction, and wonder why China announces it beforehand: “Would North Korea announce it before it shoots a missile?” Another commenter wrote: “Why don’t they intervene stronger in their regime, and bring back socialism instead of a dictatorship?”

(Comment: In 2014, the question of ‘how should China deal with North Korea?’ was also prominent. What’sonWeibo reported then how retired People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Lieutenant General Wang Hongguang shared his views on the future of the China-North Korea alliance, saying that “China is not North Korea’s savior,” and that “China has wiped North Korea’s ass for too long.” General Wang’s essay “China’s Non-Existent ‘Abandoning North Korea’ Problem” attracted much attention in December of 2014, as Wang stated that North Korea was never really China’s true ally to begin with, and that their ‘non-existent’ alliance, therefore, could never be ‘abandoned.’ (Guancha 2014).