Former high-ranking North Korean official Hwang Jang-yop says North Korea will not collapse as long as China supports it, rejecting the speculation that a contingency would occur in the North.

Hwang, who defected to South Korea in 1997, presented his view Thursday at a forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in the U.S.

Hwang said that currently, there is no big force in the North to oppose Kim Jong-il and it is hard to expect an implosion or contingency in the regime.

He added that China is effectively a lifeline for North Korea. He said that should China end its ties with the North, it would be a death sentence to the North. Hence, it is very important for Pyongyang to maintain business with Beijing.

The defector also said that South Korea's conclusion of free trade agreements with its four big neighbors, especially China, would strike a significant blow to the North. Therefore, Hwang advises Seoul to consider the FTAs as an important political investment.