‘Very disappointed’: Trump blasts China for ‘doing nothing’ with N. Korea
US President Donald Trump blasted China for essentially “doing nothing” to help resolve the North Korean crisis, promising to put an end to it in yet another twist in the president’s rhetoric towards Beijing.
“They [China] do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue,” President Trump tweeted, adding that it shouldn’t take much for Beijing to “solve this problem!”
I am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017
...they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017
The statement comes just two days after Pyongyang test-fired what it claims to be its second intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which could reach any place within the US mainland, according to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The first ICBM test was carried out on July 4. While both were considered to be ICBMs by the US and South Korean military, the Russian assessment is that they were intermediate range missiles (IRBM), meaning that they are not capable of hitting the US.
The latest tweets apparently show another change in Trump’s attitude to China, while the countries remain at odds over how to deal with North Korea.
Earlier in July, Trump boasted of an “excellent meeting” he had with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 meeting in Hamburg, saying he appreciated what had been done regarding North Korea and calling China “a great trading partner.”
However, in late June, the US imposed sanctions on a Chinese bank for allegedly laundering money for North Korea. Restrictions were also placed on two Chinese citizens as well as a shipping company for allegedly assisting North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
After Xi’s visit to the US in April, Trump said he would make Xi a better trade deal if China solves the “North Korean problem” itself. He added, however, that the US may have to do it on its own.
I explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2017
North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2017
In March, Trump criticized China for not doing enough regarding North Korea.
North Korea is behaving very badly. They have been "playing" the United States for years. China has done little to help!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2017
While the US has repeatedly called on China to put more pressure on North Korea to curb its nuclear and missile programs, Beijing has blasted what it calls the “China responsibility theory,” urging the US to stop “trying to shift responsibility.”
READ MORE: North Korea ‘top security threat,’ US & China officials agree
While the US and China agree that North Korea is a “top security threat,” the approaches of both states in solving the crisis remain a point of contention. The US approach to dealing with North Korea involves restrictive measures and military deterrence, holding military drills with its allies in the region and deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea to protect it from its communist neighbor. China has serious concerns over THAAD, considering it a threat to its own security.
