A Chinese expert says North Korea’s decision to pursue nuclear arms development will lead to worse conditions internally and externally for the regime.

The deputy secretary-general for China’s Committee for National Security Policy Studies, Peng Guangqian, made the claim in a commentary submitted to China’s state-run English newspaper, the China Daily.

Peng said Pyongyang mistakenly believes developing and possessing nuclear weapons will boost its international status.

He added that he believes a nuclear North Korea will lead to heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and an increased possibility of a preemptive strike against the North.

Moreover, Peng said that by pursuing nuclear weapons, the North will only isolate itself further from the rest of the world without any economic gain or practical benefit, making its already vulnerable economy worse.