I think North Korea is going to be like China this time next year ... still communist, but with a growing economy. That’s a big step up from what it is today.
Think that's probably the inevitable trajectory - if allowed. Look around them - everyone else is engaged in open trade, is engaging with the world. Yet there they are, stuck in the 1950's, yelling at clouds, still doing shady spade work for China. Economic power could enable them to break away to have independence from China - which I'm not sure that China wants to allow. North Korea is an extended province of China and is a welfare state that is utterly dependent on them. This is more about prying China off North Korea than convincing Kimmie to do or not do something.
North Korea is an extended province of China and is a welfare state that is utterly dependent on themExactly, it's a drain on China and it could be a boon for them as it grows economically which can only happen if the give up nukes and join society. Trump convinced China of the obvious in a businessman's talk.