Douglas H. Paal
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}Source: Getty
U.S. Sending North Korea the “Right Message for the Moment”
It is necessary to be clear that the United States will retaliate if North Korea provokes an attack on the United States or its allies, but containment and deterrence remain preferable to an unacceptably costly military intervention.
Source: ABC Australia
Speaking on RN Breakfast, Carnegie’s Douglas Paal argued that warning North Korea about U.S. retaliation against any attack on the United States or its allies is “the right message for the moment.” However, Paal pointed out that military intervention will incur unacceptably high costs, as many senior people advising President Trump have recognized. Paal also acknowledged that while China has been less vocal against pressing North Korea through sanctions, it is unlikely that China would go so far that it risks regime collapse in North Korea.
About the Author
Distinguished Fellow, Asia Program
Paal previously served as vice chairman of JPMorgan Chase International and as unofficial U.S. representative to Taiwan as director of the American Institute in Taiwan.
- America’s Future in a Dynamic AsiaPaper
- U.S.-China Relations at the Forty-Year MarkQ&A
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Douglas H. Paal, Tong Zhao, Chen Qi, …
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
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The recent damage inflicted by Ukrainian drones and missiles on Russia has made Belarus aware of its own vulnerabilities—and surprisingly amenable to Kyiv’s demands.
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- Threading the Needle: India’s Path Forward with ChinaPaper
After the chill in ties between 2020 and 2024 that brought India–China relations to their lowest point in several decades, the two countries have engaged each other afresh. This paper argues that there are predominantly four imperatives guiding India’s approach to China, and they exist in an order of priority.
Saheb Singh Chadha
- Ahead of the Ankara Summit, NATO’s Mood Has ChangedCommentary
European allies are less focused on appeasing Trump and more focused on smoothing the transition to a Europe-led alliance.
- +1
Sophia Besch, Alper Coşkun, Nate Reynolds, …