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or years the world has let a ruthless leader threaten East Asia at nuclear gunpoint. The region is inching closer to nuclear war because the world is powerless against a dictator whose survival can only be ensured if he has nuclear weapons at his disposal.

The man is Kim Jong-un, the absolute leader of North Korea. A combination of brutality, ferocity and ruthlessness are some of the keys to his success in maintaining power in the extremely impoverished nation. Unfortunately, his ambition is likely to go unchallenged because of the distrust among countries that would have enough power to stop his deadly adventure if they could cooperate.

China, Japan and South Korea are facing a new level of military tension as North Korea is no longer far from becoming a full nuclear state. Beijing is the only power that could halt Pyongyang’s nuclear adventure, but even President Xi Jinping has refrained from going too far because he has little trust in Japanese leader Shinzo Abe. A total export ban from China would be the most effective way to force Kim to behave, but such a move is very unlikely.

President Xi also feels unsure about South Korean leader Park Geun-hye because of her plan to build a US-produced missile defense system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery. It is very likely that Japan and South Korea would have to accelerate their military deterrent systems, including a decision to join the world’s nuclear club, because of their technological capability.

Kim knows very well that the only way for his regime to survive is by making his country a nuclear state. The timing of his fifth nuclear test on Friday, the largest and most dangerous so far, was perfectly calculated, because its only donor, China, is preoccupied with its own problems, including overlapping sovereignty claims with neighbors.

US President Barack Obama has vowed to punish the North Korean leader at the highest level. However, Kim knows that Obama cannot take any significant action because he is now just a lame duck president.

A trilateral summit between the leaders of China, Japan and South Korea is urgently needed. They should be able to put aside their differences at least for a while, because all of them could fall victim to Kim’s nuclear gambling.

Will President Xi, Prime Minister Abe and President Park be able to take united action in preventing the threat of nuclear war in the region?