New Generation of Leaders in China, North Korea, Tested by Nuclear Missile Launch

As North Korea's only serious ally, China not amused by latest hi jinx

The underground blast set off by North Korea Tuesday was not just a nuclear test — it was a test for its only real ally, China, which is under new leadership and under international pressure to rein in its neighbour.

After the earth in North Korea rumbled Tuesday morning, eyes quickly turned next door to China to see how Xi Jinping's administration would react to what some analysts are calling a slap in the face.