Paul Haenle joined Kaiser Kuo to discuss next steps for DPRK diplomacy and tensions between the United States and China over trade, Taiwan, and the Belt and Road Initiative. Haenle shared his experience working as White House representative to the six-party talks in the Bush administration, and said China’s relations with North Korea reached a historic low in 2017 due to the leadership’s frustration with Pyongyang’s provocative nuclear and missile tests, leading to Beijing’s increased willingness to join the international maximum pressure campaign. He argued the Singapore summit reduced U.S. leverage with North Korea and produced a vague statement which failed to advance denuclearization.