An expert on Korean Peninsula affairs says that China is not expected to oppose a scenario where the two Koreas have the opportunity to unify, should North Korea collapse.

Tufts University's Adjunct Assistant Professor of International Politics Lee Sung-yoon made the claim during a lecture in Washington on Monday.

Lee said China will continue to pursue practical economic policies, adding that a scenario where the two Koreas reunite would be beneficial for China’s economy.

Lee noted that China showed a clear change in its stance regarding a potential collapse of the North when it mentioned the possibility of such a scenario during an open seminar last year. Previously, Beijing had never mentioned a North Korean collapse even theoretically.