Considering how often Japan and South Korea is portrayed as US puppets, implying the US has total control of both countries, I see no reason not to see the China-North Korea in the same relationship. If China does not put the smack-down on NKR, if there is another war in the Korean peninsula, China will share part of the blame and will be dragged into that war. China does not have any moral and political allies in Asia where they can contribute to the war's effort on China's side. Japan, South Korea, and the US will be together. The rest of Asia, including and especially Taiwan, will be on full alert on China, not the US-Japan-SKR alliance.