N. Korea dominates Trump agenda

Regime’s missile test overshadows return to Europe

USA TODAY WARSAW President Donald Trump’s return to Europe this week was supposed to focus on resolving many of the lingering issues from his first trip there in May, when he exposed rifts with allies over defense spending, trade and climate change.

But North Korea’s July 4 missile test has put the rogue regime at the forefront of the annual meeting of the Group of 20 largest economies, where the major players in the escalating crisis will be represented: the United States, Russia, China, Japan and South Korea.

As Trump departed Wednesday for Warsaw, he tweeted at China, spoke to world leaders aboard Air Force One and prepared for a special meeting Thursday night of the G-20 in Hamburg to discuss security on the Korean peninsula.

“Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us — but we had to give it a try!” Trump tweeted Wednesday before leaving for a four-day trip to Poland and Germany.

After a warm Mar-a-Lago summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in April, Trump has alternated between imploring China to act and seemingly giving up on applying pressure on North Korea through its largest trading partner.

“Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!” Trump tweeted Monday after the missile test.

It’s difficult to discern whether Trump’s North Korea policy is changing 140 characters at a time, but Harry Kazianis of The Center for the National Interest, a Washington-based think tank, said the tweets are intended to send a “strategic signal” to China.

During the Cold War, nuclear powers would demonstrate their resolve by lining up bombers on the runway, or opening and closing the doors to nuclear missile silos, he said. Trump uses a smartphone.

“This is Trumpian-style signaling to the Chinese,” Kazianis said. The message: Trump’s conciliatory posture toward China on trade and other issues may be coming to an end.

U.S. and South Korean commanders noted that the Korean War technically never ended. “Self restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war,” said the statement from U.S. Gen. Vincent K. Brooks and South Korean Gen. Lee Sun Jin. “As the combined live fire demonstrated, we may make resolute decisions any time, if the alliance commanders-in-chief order. Whoever thinks differently is making a serious misjudgment.”