Trump says US will act alone on North Korea if China fails to help

[Ulmita]

Donald Trump has issued China with an ultimatum that if it fails to put pressure on North Korea to disable its nuclear programme, then the US is prepared to take action against Pyongyang on its own.


“Well, if China is not going to solve North Korea, we will,” the president said in an interview with the Financial Times published on Sunday.


Trump sets himself on collision course with China ahead of Xi meeting


Asked how he would tackle North Korea, Trump said: “I’m not going to tell you. You know, I am not the United States of the past where we tell you where we are going to hit in the Middle East.”


Trump will host the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, this Thursday and Friday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where the two leaders are expected to discuss North Korea, China’s ambitions in the South China Sea and trade.


Trump said he had “great respect” for Xi and “great respect for China”, adding: “I would not be at all surprised if we did something that would be very dramatic and good for both countries and I hope so.”


About North Korea, he said: “China has great influence over North Korea. And China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they won’t. And if they do that will be very good for China, and if they don’t it won’t be good for anyone.”


Asked what might motivate China to help, Trump said: “I think trade is the incentive. It is all about trade.”


In the same interview, Trump also praised the European Union’s response to Brexit, claiming the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc could be a “very good thing” for both parties.


Compared with previous comments in which he boasted about “predicting Brexit”, he struck a more conciliatory tone about the future of the EU, claiming the 27 other members were “getting their act together” and that it had become less likely that other countries would follow the UK’s example.


In a separate conversation, Trump’s deputy national security adviser, KT McFarland, told the FT there was a “real possibility” North Korea could be capable of hitting the US with a nuclear-armed missile by the end of Trump’s first term. Intelligence experts disagree with McFarland’s assessment.


Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, also offered tough talk on China on Sunday, saying on ABC’s This Week that the US was pressing China to take a firmer stand regarding North Korea’s nuclear program.


UN resolutions have failed so far to deter North Korea from conducting nuclear and missile tests. Last year, the North conducted two nuclear tests and two dozen tests of ballistic missiles.


“They need to show us how concerned they are,” Haley said. “They need to put pressure on North Korea. The only country that can stop North Korea is China, and they know that.”


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While China provides diplomatic and economic support to its neighbor, it claims that its influence over Kim Jong-un’s government is limited. Asked what the US would do if China did not cooperate, Haley said: “China has to cooperate.”


Speaking on the same show, Barack Obama’s last defense secretary, Ash Carter, said he doubted that Beijing would do so.


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“I’ve been working on the North Korea problem since 1994,” Carter said. “And we have consistently asked Chinese leaders … because they uniquely have the historical and the economic relationship with North Korea to make a difference.


“They haven’t used that influence, and so it’s hard for me to be optimistic with that.”


On trade, China on Saturday called on the US to respect international rules and improve cooperation and dialogue. The call came in reaction to two new executive orders by Trump calling for an investigation into trade abuses.


Any US trade enforcement measures should comply with generally accepted international trade rules and differences between the two countries should be handled properly, an unidentified spokesperson for China’s ministry of commerce said in a speech on Saturday.


“China is willing to cooperate with the United States on a basis of equality and mutual benefit,” the spokesperson said in the speech, which was released on the ministry’s website.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...th-korea-china

Is this going to be his first war? I personally cant see how China will allow NK to fall. Can you imagine USA installing their anti ballistic missile shield right next to Chinese borders? If USA attacks it means no help from NATO either. This can turn out to be very costly for them and certainly they will not be able to win / finish the war (like always) alone.

[Ulmita]

I agree 100%

[Self Inflicted Wounds]

Please tell me you aren't essentially defending North Korea.

[Zeta333]

North korea will have to be delt with eventually. We can make excuses for them and against doing somthing forever, I personally feel the longer we wait the longer he has time to develope some form of shit that will kill even more people. I know thier tech is laughable but it only needs to reach the south korean capital to cause major damage. And if they make a breakthrough, and are able to reach japan thats even worse.

long and short someones going to have to do it, ignoring it forever will lead to somthing worse in the long run.

[RaoBurning]

The best case scenario is that Trump gets bored and goes to play golf instead of trying to force any sort of foreign policy issue of real consequence. Worst case, I'm guessing Vietnam 2.0 with a side dish of pissed off China. Though this sort of thing is more up Skroe's alley.

[lockedout]

Wait so we will actually help people in North Korea without oil being present?

[Artaxerxes]

The best case scenario is that Trump gets bored and goes to play golf instead of trying to force any sort of foreign policy issue of real consequence. Worst case, I'm guessing Vietnam 2.0 with a side dish of pissed off China. Though this sort of thing is more up Skroe's alley.

what is with these forums and Skroe?

Isn't he that 'conservative' rebelling against his own party?

[May90]

The US would decimate North Korea. Sadly, South Korea would likely have to be decimated in the process... But the orangutan doesn't care, does he?

[Aori]

If China or the USA don't do anything, Japan eventually will. South Korea doesn't want to do anything because of Seoul, the USA is more or less the same. Japan.. they are another matter. Also don't think for a second the USA would be alone even if it did act, Japan and South Korea would most definitely be involved.

[Yunru]

Wait so we will actually help people in North Korea without oil being present?

Well it is strategical location. Right now its just a buffer zone. In case of a war, if you have a army close to enemy country, you can react faster.

[Aggrophobic]

Trump has a lot of stupid ideas but talking care of North Korea is not one of them.
Go get them!

[May90]

Trump has a lot of stupid ideas but talking care of North Korea is not one of them.
Go get them!

I know I'll probably get infracted for this, but I don't have any active infraction points right now and can afford it...



Donald, JUST DO IT!!!

[Artaxerxes]

If you really think North Korea is the issue then you are blind. Its the rather colossal country north of it that is the problem. I doubt they are going to just sit there and let their client state fall. Doubtless America can beat North Korea, even if Iraq and Afghanistan leave much to be desired of their military capability, but it is doubtful the same can be done to nuclear armed China. All Xi has to do is issue a general mobilisation to the army and America will back down already unless they want to be at war with a country destined to be the world's pre-eminent power (ironically at America's expense).

Besides the last time America advanced into North Korea, they ended up advancing in the opposite direction when China intervened.

- - - Updated - - -

If China or the USA don't do anything, Japan eventually will. South Korea doesn't want to do anything because of Seoul, the USA is more or less the same. Japan.. they are another matter. Also don't think for a second the USA would be alone even if it did act, Japan and South Korea would most definitely be involved.

And if Japan tries to do something, China will do a bigger something too. What, they think China forgot about the 14 million people they killed not too long ago? And since they got zero nukes, best not to fuck with daddy dragon in this case.

They are probably butthurt cause China kicked them one place down on the biggest economy podium.

[Self Inflicted Wounds]

The US would decimate North Korea. Sadly, South Korea would likely have to be decimated in the process... But the orangutan doesn't care, does he?

Not sure this is true.

[Edge-]

At least that warhawk Clinton isn't president.

Not even one post before the, "BUT HILLARY!" responses.

Jesus, when will people let Trump stand on his own two feet without leaning heavily on Hillary to prop him up?

[Deleted]

North korea will have to be delt with eventually. We can make excuses for them and against doing somthing forever, I personally feel the longer we wait the longer he has time to develope some form of shit that will kill even more people. I know thier tech is laughable but it only needs to reach the south korean capital to cause major damage. And if they make a breakthrough, and are able to reach japan thats even worse.

long and short someones going to have to do it, ignoring it forever will lead to somthing worse in the long run.

They can take out Seoul with artillery alone, so why haven't they? Ur supposed to ignore NK, not make ultimatums. You don't see NK threaten China or Russia, so they aren't crazy, even though cnn n hollywood would like for u to think so. Stop pushing NK against a wall. Cold war ended due to de-escalation n not the other way.
Also NK borders China n Russia, they'll never allow for u to occupy NK n simultanously target both countries with missiles. Especially Russia cuz of Vladivostok n pacific coast. So, get any grand adventures out of ur computer game mind.

[Kiri]

If China or the USA don't do anything, Japan eventually will. South Korea doesn't want to do anything because of Seoul, the USA is more or less the same. Japan.. they are another matter. Also don't think for a second the USA would be alone even if it did act, Japan and South Korea would most definitely be involved.

South Korea would definitely be involved - taking most of the damage that North Korea can do, since they cannot reach the US. But it's better if South Koreans die for sure, North Korea might one day have the capability to hurt the US.

Not sure this is true.

Maybe not decimated, but it will take the brunt of the attack. Last I checked, the South Korean capital is within range of North Korean weapons and you can bet NK will try to inflict as much damage as possible on any enemy if attacked. That is one of the reasons why people are iffy about attacking NK unilaterally, not because they are 'defending' North Korea.
Add to that the fact that in order to defeat North Korea, you either have to conduct air-strikes or park your navy right next to China, who might see that as an aggression. Plus, given that pretty much every able-bodied North Korean will be forced to fight for their oh so glorious leader, the US would not be helping the people there or liberate them. It'd pretty much get them all killed while the delusional leader sits in his bunkers.
Those are some of the reasons why people are against attacking North Korea head-on.

[kail]

Trump is surprisingly not wrong here. NK is a problem and a sooner solution is better than never.

[Ripster42]

Not even one post before the, "BUT HILLARY!" responses.

Jesus, when will people let Trump stand on his own two feet without leaning heavily on Hillary to prop him up?

That was sarcasm. Don't think nexx is a trumpy.

[Blur4stuff]

It's interesting to see so many of you lusting for the death of millions. But, I'm guessing it's okay with you since it would mostly be South Koreans?

So, when Trump invades North Korea are you going to be on the front lines? Or armchair quarterbacking from behind the screen?