TRUMP THREATENS ACTION ON NORTH KOREA IF CHINA DOESN’T REIN IN ROGUE STATE.
President wants China to ‘solve the problem’
WASHINGTON• Donald Trump warned Tuesday that he would take unilateral action against North Korea if China does not act to rein in the rogue state’s nuclear arms program.
He tweeted that he told Chinese president Xi Jinping, during a state visit to America last week, that “a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better” if Beijing solves the “North Korea problem.”
“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.” he added.
Earlier, North Korea said it was “ready for war” and threatened nuclear retaliation after Trump dispatched a Navy carrier strike group to the Korean Peninsula.
Trump rerouted the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson and three guided-missile destroyers and cruisers from Australia to the West Pacific on Saturday in a statement of displeasure at Pyongyang’s nuclear program.
“We will hold the U.S. wholly accountable for the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by its outrageous actions,” a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement.
The statement comes just after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillers on said U.S. missile strikes against a Syrian airbase in retaliation for a chemical weapon attack carry a message for any country operating outside of international norms.
He didn’t specify North Korea, but the context was clear enough.
“If you violate international agreements, if you fail to live up to commitments, if you become a threat to others, at some point a response is likely to be undertaken,” Tillerson told ABC’s This Week.
The North has long claimed the U.S. is preparing an assault against it and justifies its nuclear weapons as defensive in nature.
“This goes to prove that the U.S. reckless moves for invading the DPRK have reached a serious phase of its scenario,” the North’s statement said.
“If the U.S. dares opt for a military action, crying out for ‘ pre- emptive attack’ and ‘ removal of the headquarters,’ the DPRK is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the U.S.”
“Our revolutionary strong army is keenly watching every move by enemy elements with our nuclear sight focused on the U.S. invasionary bases not only in South Korea and the Pacific operation theatre, but also in the U.S. mainland ,” Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’ s official newspaper, said.
North Korea has been testing military hardware with increasing frequency in violation of UN resolutions.
China and South Korea agreed at a meeting Monday to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea if it carries out further nuclear or longrange missile tests.