The US and China, Allies or Adversaries in Resolving the North Korean Nuclear Crisis

The World Affairs Council of Orange County is holding a special event featuring Ambassador Christopher Hill, former head of the US Delegation to the Six Party Talks and former Ambassador to the Republic of Korea and Clayton Dube, Executive Director of USC US-China Institute.

As the North Korean rogue regime’s missile tests become more frequent, and its unpredictable dictator Kim Jong Un gets closer than ever to being able to send a nuclear-tipped missile to the United States’ West Coast, Secretary Rex Tillerson ominously declared that, “the policy of strategic patience has ended.” In recent years, the State Department has led the way in pushing for diplomatic and economic measures, hopeful that with the help of China it could pressure Pyongyang to halt its nuclear program and provocative tests. As sanctions against North Korea imposed by previous administrations have increased, the regime seems to become even more confrontational. While the people of North Korea endure the hardships of both the sanctions and the brutality of the Kim regime, our Asian allies continue to express their grave concerns on the developments in this potential nuclear crisis.

What options are there for the US and China moving forward? Both economic and military options are being weighed by the Trump administration. How willing is China to help, and if so, will it be in good faith? How much more effective can their pressure be, and what concerns do they have about moving beyond the current status quo? Is war inevitable or can a diplomatic solution be reached? In what promises to be a fascinating conversation, Ambassador Hill and Dr. Dube will explore these questions among others.

Ambassador Christopher Hill is the Dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. A former US Ambassador to South Korea and a career diplomat who was nominated to four embassies by three presidents, Ambassador Hill served as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2005 until 2009, during which he was also the head of the US delegation to the Six Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear crises. In a special one on one conversation with Executive Director of the USC US-China Institute, Dr Clayton Dube, Ambassador Hill will address the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Private Reception 5:00 pm
Registration & General Reception
5:45pm Dinner & Speaker Event 6:45pm

Private Reception Not Included: Student $40 / WACOC Member $65/ Non-Member $80 Private Reception Included + Dinner - $100