Trump threatens N. Korea over nukes
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 had told Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, 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.”
Earlier, North Korea said it was “ready for war” and threatened nuclear retaliation after Trump dispatched a U.S. 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.
The statement comes just after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said U.S. missile strikes against a Syrian airbase in retaliation for a chemical weapon attack carry a message for any nation operating outside of international norms.
He didn’t specify North Korea, but the context was clear enough.
The North has long claimed the U.S. is preparing some kind of attack and justifies its nuclear weapons as defensive in nature.