The United States has reportedly asked the Chinese government for help with North Korea and cyberattacks. Most of North Korea’s Internet traffic passes through China, and the New York Times quotes one administration official as saying,“What we are looking for is a blocking action, something that would cripple their efforts to carry out attacks.”

There are numerous reasons to be skeptical that Beijing is going to be forthcoming with this request. Discussions on cyber between the United States and China have been difficult ever since the United States indicted five People’s Liberation Army officers for hacking into U.S. companies. In October, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told Secretary of State John Kerry that Beijing was waiting for the United States to “take positive actions so as to create conditions for the restart of dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.” That positive action—probably something on the indictments—has not happened. While China does not approve of North Korean actions, it is sympathetic to the argument that The Interview was insulting to North Korea. The Global Times said the movie was nothing for Hollywood or American society to be proud of, a result of “senseless cultural arrogance.” Moreover, there is a long history of Beijing going easier on Pyongyang than the United States would like, even if some Chinese analysts have grown tired of supporting the Kim Jong-un regime.