WASHINGTON — President Trump, frustrated by China’s inaction on North Korea,
opened the door on Tuesday to concessions on his trade agenda with
Beijing in exchange for greater Chinese support in pressuring Pyongyang.
In doing so, he lashed together two sharply different issues in an
already complex relationship.
“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!” Mr.
Trump declared in a morning Twitter post. Minutes later, he warned:
“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.”
Mr.
Trump’s threat rattled nerves in South Korea, where the government
reassured the public that the United States would not launch an attack
without first consulting Seoul. But the American president’s suggestion
of a grand bargain with Beijing crystallized his quandary in dealing
with North Korea.
Only
China, with its vast economic leverage over its reclusive neighbor, can
realistically force a change in the behavior of North Korea’s dictator,
Kim Jong-un. Yet despite its own rising frustration with Mr. Kim, the
Chinese government has so far been unwilling to tighten the vise on him.
Notes: Since posting this article on April 11, China has rejected a shipment of coal from N Korea, an order generated on April 7, four days before the NY Times. (See the article, here). You should know that 80% of N Korean trade deals are with the Chinese government. Whether that total is 80% or 50%, the fact remains that China is the single biggest trade partner with N Korea.
Understand, it has been commonly reported that the meetings of Trump and the Chinese president have gone much better than expected. Turns out that Trump's tough talk about China, over the past year and a half, is being used as leverage, now that Trump is President. Apparently, the President successfully convinced much of the world's leadership that he means what he says, but, is willing to amend his position if he advances the interests of our nation. THAT is what is meant by the phrase, "America first."
This is what "leadership" looks like, after eight stinking years of "leading from behind." *
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*BTW, there is no such thing as "leading from behind," despite the fact that Barack has left in his wake, the continued used of this idiot fantasy.
