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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP warned in an interview published yesterday that the United States is prepared to act unilaterally to deal with North Korea’s nuclear program if China proves unwilling to help.
“Well, if China is not going to solve North Korea, we will. That is all I am telling you,” he said in an interview with the Financial Times of London.
Trump’s comments come ahead of his meeting Thursday and Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the US president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Tensions have risen sharply as North Korea has stepped up ballistic missile tests and amid boasts by leader Kim Jong-un that his country was in the final stages of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile.
US-based analysts have warned that North Korea appears to be preparing a new nuclear test. It has staged five nuclear tests so far, with two taking place last year.
“China has great influence over North Korea. And China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they won’t,” Trump told the Financial Times. “If they do, that will be very good for China, and if they don’t, it won’t be good for anyone.”
In a separate interview, US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the United States is looking to China to take action against North Korea.
“The only country that can stop North Korea is China and they know that,” Haley told ABC’s “This Week” in an interview broadcast on yesterday. “We’re going to continue to put pressure on China to have action.”
The Mar-a-Lago meeting will be the two leaders’ first face-to-face encounter.
On Thursday, Trump predicted a “very difficult” summit with Xi, noting the disputes over trade policy between the world’s two most powerful nations and leading economies.
But Haley emphasised that at the Florida meeting “the most important conversation will be how we’re going to be dealing with the nonproliferation of North Korea.”
Beijing, increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile activities, has announced a suspension of all coal imports from the North until the end of the year.
Haley deemed that measure – which was in keeping with UN sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program and missile program – insufficient, saying that coal is “going in other ways.”
“At some point, we need to see definitive actions by China condemning North Korea and not just calling them out for it,” she said.
Since taking office, Trump has left open the possibility of military action against North Korea.
Following that country’s early March missile tests, which came provocatively close to Japan, the US leader emphasised his administration’s commitment to “deter and defend against North Korea’s ballistic missiles using the full range of United States military capabilities.”
Former US defense secretary Ash Carter, who served under Barack Obama, said the US has “always had all options on the table.”
Also speaking on ABC, he recalled that the United States drew up a “preemptive strike plan” in 1994 to knock out North Korea’s Yongbyon reactor, during a confrontation over its nuclear program.
“We have those options,” he said. “We shouldn’t take them off the table.”
But he said a US strike on North Korea would likely trigger a North Korean attempt to invade South Korea.
“This is a war that would have an intensity of violence associated with it that we haven’t seen since the last Korean War,” he said.
“Seoul is right there on the borders of the DMZ, so even though the outcome is certain, it is a very destructive war. And so one needs to proceed very carefully here.”
He said Washington should continue to pressure China to lean on North Korea, but he was not optimistic that would lead to anything.
Beijing fears a potential North Korean collapse, which would result in “a unified Korea allied with the United States on their border,” Carter said.
Team America world police
Donald seems to have forgotten that the U.S caused North Korea through its imperial adventures there in the 1950s.
@Barney Mooney: Not sure about the history books at AAA headquarters, but in the real world, North Korea invaded the south supported by China, and a UN force made up of the militaries of 20 odd nations came to the aid of South Korea.
@Wayne O’Fathaigh:It’s Barney’s “Alternative History” Wayne. When factual history doesn’t match what he believes he makes up his own version.
@Paul Downes: I think the US has a right to defend themselves in this case. NK is being lead by an irrational and unpredictable dictator who is developing a nuclear program to specifically target America. What are they supposed to do, sit back and wait?
@Paul Downes: does Trump realise that NK boarders both Russia and China? If you absolutely have to start WW3, invade NK. See what happens. The fool.
@Peter Cavey: South Korea nor Trump’s General Staff are that foolish as to launch an unprovoked invasion of the North. It would be just too expensive in money and lives.
@Barney Mooney: Get a history lesson Barney. You must find it hard to see a socialist utopia like NK get such bad press!
@Tweety McTweeter: Defend themselves against what? The US has the ability to shot down a ballistic missile, the problems comes from when they are hundreds of them and NK doesn’t have that many.
Also what gives the US the right to decide who can or can’t have nukes? This from a country that is the only one in the world to use atomic weapons – not once but twice against civilians. I’m no fan of NK and I don’t believe they should have nukes but I’m also no fan of the US cherry picking when they want to police the world.
Remember the US is the county that gave Israel – very aggressive national – nuclear weapons.
Again I say who gives a country the right to decide what another country can or can’t do?
@Peter Cavey: You are presuming he can find it on a map!
@Barney Mooney: sure, maybe in a parallel universe.
@Mick Jordan: Trump has overruled McMaster on this cohen-wassisname character. Minor by comparison but not irrelevant.
@Tony Canning: He needs both South Korea and Japan to back the play. Because they will get dragged into it if he tries to go unilateral. This is as much for Trump’s domestic audience as it is in his own stupid way to try and get the Chinese to act.
@Mick Jordan:
You mean like the version of “history” which has recorded the weapons of mass destruction which justified the U.S invasion and destruction of Iraq? History is largely written to serve the interests of the powerful but you keep kidding yourself that the U.S elites are are an ally of ordinary working class people anywhere.
@Barney Dooley: next you will be telling me that North Korea has not enough socialism.
@Barney Mooney: South Korea wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the U.S in the 1950′s. Your history is as good as your economics.
@Barney Dooley: Yeah Wally, everyone hates ordinary working class folks. *Sob*
@Barney Dooley: You will find that recorded history says the opposite. More “Alt History” Barney/Wally? ( or what knew name you are under next week)
@Barney Dooley: Even when you are blatantly factually wrong and corrected numerous times you will no acknowledge.
Your own cut and paste postings often espouse a very similar society to North Korea.
Just like he solved Obamacare?
@Karl Patchell: thankfully the war monger Hillary didn’t get in and hugely up the budget on military hardware and then talk of starting fights in Asia.
@Deborah Behan: are you suggesting Hillary is not a war monger? N. Korea has fired missiles in Japan’s direction in the last few weeks. I know you have a natural Trump bias being a feminist and all, but at least try a small bit of realism.
China know just how dangerous Kim is and the threat he poses. But they can’t and won’t be seen to be doing the US’s bidding. For China it’s a matter of “Face”. The Chinese view the world very differently to the West. To them Korea is an Asian problem and should not be any concern of the Western powers. It’s probably the only reason Kim still is allowed to live. By protecting him and his regime they are sticking two fingers up at the West.
@Mick Jordan: Exactly this, Trump’s problem is he desperately wants to be seen to be involved so thinks that by “telling china” to care of NK that when they do actually do something he can point and say “look i did that”, only problem is now he’s said that they won’t do anything to avoid him being able to say exactly that. If he’d just kepty his fat yap shut China might have done something off their own bat, but nope then our donald wouldn’t have been able to put that up on his fridge for everyone to marvel at
@Mick Jordan: And the next problem is, that the Chinese definitely do not want a united and US aligned Korea on their doorstep, even though they would rather get rid of Kim and his cronies
@Larissa Caroline Nikolaus: you don’t know that they would rather get rid of Kim… speaking as if privy to internal CCP discussions.
“Well, if China is not going to solve North Korea, we will. That is all I am telling you”
This could turn out to be very “complicated”,too :)
Poor pet :)
@Oh Dear!: Who knew global thermonuclear war was so complicated?!
All it would take is a few stern words and a few sanctions from China and north Korea would sit up and pay Attention.
So many on here hating on Trump, just because. There is a moden day holocaust in NK and the West sits idle by. Whole families in concentration camps, tortured to death. Kids born “raised” and dieing in camps…but hey, lets hate on Trump.
@Lord Clanricarde. The world, not just the west, sit idly by for all sorts of bad stuff. Running in with your big guns to rescue everyone isn’t that straight forward. Although Trump with his diplomatic and military expertise might be just the man to do it.
@Lord Clanricarde: when Trump is acting a hard man with the lives of millions I think it’s pretty much okeedokee to hate on someone who has shown himself to be inflammatory and naive with his actions so far.
@Lord Clanricarde: Let’s not start WW3 over it either.
As for modern day holocaust – you forgot to mention the kurds from Iraqi who raised up during the first gulf war after being persuaded by the US only be to betrayed and left to be slaughter after the war by the US. You also forgot Rwandan genocide where over an estimated one million people were slaughtered, why didn’t the US charge in to the rescue there?
As President Lincoln once said, don’t believe everything you read on the internet!
@B9xiRspG: I didnt forget them at all. What are you raving on about? This article is related to North Korea and I spoke about the systematic murder of the people their for decades.
That’s what I love about The Donald, he’s great at telling stories.
@OpenBorders: almost as good as yourself I would say.
Take a look at how close Seoul is to NK border. Massive death toll if it kicks off. Nobody dead yet
Go get them DJ.
@5 Times: Said like a true ginger nut supporter, and like a ginger nut supporter not a conceivable or rational thought of consequences
@John Somers: maybe they should meet up for scones and tea. Is that what you think is going to happen.
Start a war good for business
@Patrick O’Brien: Actually War would be very Bad for business. It would disrupt trade to and from South Korea, Japan, China and a fair bit to from Asia to the US. Which in turn would send World Markets into chaos for years.
@Mick Jordan: Exagg, and disruption is good for business if you’re positioned and prepared well in advance. Which Don and pals would be.
@Mick Jordan: If war is bad for business why has the US been at war with someone since it was founded? War = business = money for some.
@Mark Gearey: Do you think the Asian multinationals want NK subs causing havoc in the South China Sea. Do you think they want an attack on Seoul or Toyko. Kim is crazy enough to use VX or Anthrax in his missiles and keep what nukes he has as a final resort. This won’t be fought with conventional weapons but Chemical Biological and finally Nuclear weapons. For Kim it will be all or nothing.
@Mick Jordan: You’re making the assumption the war would be fought in NK. Kim would be sending nuclear missiles to the US’ west coast from the beginning. Might even save lives in the long run and permanently change aggressive US Foreign Policy if something as drastic as that happened.
@B9xiRspG: Look at the countries they have fought Wars with. None had the capacity to disrupt trade to even the slightest fraction that one with NK would pose. In 1951 South Korea was a backwater in East Asia. Japan was only just beginning it’s recovery from the War. China was in self imposed isolation. 2017 South Korea and Japan have massive economic impact of world trade. If China got involved militarily it to would have it’s trade with the West severely curtailed. Trillions would be wiped off stocks over night. Asian Multinationals would immediately close factories to save costs from bleeding leading to large scale unemployment. It would make the last recession we went through look like a minor hiccup.
@Guybrush Threepwood: He hasn’t got the tech yet to reach the US. For Kim his first assault would Seoul, Inchon, Tokyo and several other Japanese cities. His Subs don’t have the range to cross the Pacific and nor the stealth capabilities to get past COMPACFLT based in Hawaii and Guam. But both his land based and sub based missiles can hit any where on SK and Japan.
@Guybrush Threepwood:
My compliments for your very fine name.
Republican presidents like to have their own wars, the Bush family are a prime example of that, and now Trump wants his!
@Philip Scanlon:
Nothing has happened yet, probably just sabre rattling. Obama and Hillary had the whole Libya debacle as well as Obama’s weekly drone kill list, the democrats aren’t exactly spotless.
@Maurice Bourke: well Trump has dramatically increased America’s military operations abroad already. He has dropped more bombs in Yemen already than Obama did last year, there have been 70,000 allied airstrips since he took office, more than a y other two month period since the fight against ISIS began in 2014
@Dave O Keeffe: *7,000
@Dave O Keeffe: **air strikes
@Dave O Keeffe: And if his Yemen raid is anything to go by, god help us all if he goes into NK.
Oh careful now Donald. The Kim fellow is a bit crazier that you…not much tho
@Science of beer: Must be related to the hair :)
North Korea is far too dangerous to be left unchecked.im glad trump is thinking of moving on them and sort it for once and all.this country defiantly needs regime change
Well done Donald, at last America and the free world has a leader that we can be proud of. For to long that fat blimp of a man, Mr Kim of North Korea has been a thorn in the side of peace and prosperity with no one willing or able to pull him into line.
@Paul Galvin: If you think thqat your orange messiah is doing anything to qadvance peace, think again, but this time, please take your head out of your behind, and your tinfoil hat off, before you start thinking
Oh please do… North Korea is a pawn in China’s game for regional dominance. It exists only to create a need for regional superpower like China to keep it in check and leverage others in the region away from the west and towards a Chinacentric policy.
In most people’s scales of world leaders competence and Trump and KJY are about even.
@Drew TheChinaman :): That’s like the pot calling the kettle black! The US are just as bad as China for regional dominance.
And if war does occur, do you think China will back down?
The military industrial complex need their quid pro quo for electoral donations. Wouldnt be surprised if he quotes that la la Bush. “Kim youre either with us or against us. . Man” .
Remember Potus , wise man once said : “if the lips are gone the teeth will be cold “.
@Denis Doyle:
A rabid dog does not race camels.
Somebody needs to get this narcissistic fool out of office before we all end up getting dragged into a nuclear war between two egotistic morons.
About time the us stood up and said something. But will the UN and congress approve it? But will lots of Americans in Eastern Europe, if putin sees the USA showing their fancy equipment to the North Koreans, putin could invade the Baltic states
Well the US finally got what they wanted… a “gansta” in the White House… just look at that picture! Seriously?!
This guy is just desperate for a win after he is having his a#$ handed to him every time he goes to Congress…or the Courts… or the press with his John Wayne wannabe attitude and policies….anyway, he is all talk… he can’t invade North Korea. This is just more of his €2 shop business psychology book strategy (the art of the wig) before the sit-down with the Chinese. Yawn pilgrim.
@Marcus Tullius Cicero: do I want to wake up tomorrow seeing BBC breaking news about North Korea launched s nuke at American cities. It would make 9/11 a minor incident in comparison. North Korea is on it’s hinges.
@alan scott: you will not be seeing that anytime soon. North Korea is a failed comunist state, they can’t feed their own people. Their hardware is WW2 aside from the artillery pieces they use to threaten South Korean citys along the DMZ. That’s the only reason an invasion has not happened yet, because by the time it was completed at least a few thousand South Koreans would be dead. Also because you cannot kill an ideology that easy…Otherwise, we are talking about a nuclear threat as credible as the one Ireland poses to the US. Do you know how far is the US coast from North Korea? Too far. And in all that time it would take for an ICBM to make it there, it would be shot down a million times over. So don’t run for the shelter just yet.
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