North Korean provocations on the one hand, Donald Trump's tightrope walking on the other: are we now on the brink of a nuclear war? The situation is in fact much more complex than the headlines might suggest.

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For decades, Pyongyang has played the intimidation card and maintained a defensive posture in terms of nuclear weapons. However, its intentions have not changed: the authorities have never stopped pursuing the program launched in 1962. However, the United States is losing influence in East Asia: weakened, it must fight to continue to protect South Korea and Japan from North Korean aggression.

This development benefits China, whose patience and calm contrast with the sudden outbursts of its neighbors, and allows it to strengthen its position on the international chessboard. However, the Middle Kingdom is struggling to temper the aggressiveness of the new American president, who seems ready to do anything to impress the rest of the world.

The Kim Trap
A film by Anthony Dufour and Minju Song
2017
©AMP