This approach should favor China’s global strategy, which is premised upon Xi’s desire to build a new type of “major power” relationship between China and the US (the Chinese government prefers “major power” to “great power,” probably in order to highlight its stated renunciation of hegemonic ambition). Indeed, among the myriad unresolved issues dividing the US and China, North Korea’s nuclear program is the one most likely to impede mutual trust.