The 12 June 2018 summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore has seemingly begun the process easing of relations between North Korea and the US, and by extension, the West. If the efforts are followed through, it could result in decisively shifting the focus of tensions from East Asia to the South China Sea (SCS).

This meeting has also seemingly triggered steps towards reduced sanctions on North Korea, as well as the US' tacit approval of the regime (similar to authoritarian regimes in Central Asian or West Asia). If economic and political stability arrives in North Korea, it could reduce the odds of potential crises in North Korea spilling into China (such as in the 1990s when approximately 250,000 refugees seeking food led to significant disturbances in China's north east). However, if North Korea