The silence in China was a little awkward after Kim Jong Un touted his determination at the recently concluded 8th party congress to push forward a full-fledged nuclear program and publicized impressive future nuclear development plans.

I wrote a Chinese piece to analyze the security implications of DPRK's unchecked nuclear buildup. Nothing hostile against DPRK; nothing about China's North Korea policy; just tried to summarize facts, predict future trend, & explain the impact. But could not get it published.

The media outlets I worked with before have all declined and said the content is too sensitive. One of them worried that the timing is not right to talk about DPRK's nukes, as bilateral relations are good & Xi just sent a message to congratulate DPRK's party congress.

I think it tells a lot about the future of this region and the future of a so-called nuclear-free Korean peninsula.