North regime change not a priority: WH
In tweet, Trump uses words like ‘ Little Rocket Man’ and ‘ sick puppy’ for N. Korean leader
Washington/ Moscow Dec. 1: US President Donald Trump dismissed a Chinese diplomatic effort to rein in North Korea’s weapons program as a failure on Thursday, while secretary of state Rex Tillerson said Beijing was doing a lot, but could do more to limit oil supplies to Pyongyang.
In a tweet, Mr Trump delivered another insulting barb against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who he called “Little Rocket Man” and a “sick puppy” after North Korea test- fired its most advanced missile to date on Wednesday.
Russian foreign minister sergei Lavrov said Washington’s approach was dangerously provocative.
Mr Trump’s tweets further inflamed tensions reignited this week after North Korea said it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile in a “breakthrough” that put the US mainland within range of its nuclear weapons whose warheads could withstand re- entry to the Earth’s atmosphere.
“The Chinese envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man,” Mr Trump said on Twitter, a day after speaking with Chinese President Xi Jinping and reiterating his call for Beijing to use its leverage against North Korea. Mr Tillerson on Thursday welcomed Chinese efforts on North Korea, but said Beijing could do more to limit its oil exports to the country.
“The Chinese are doing a lot. We do think they could do more with the oil. We’re really asking them to please restrain more of the
oil, not cut it off completely,” Mr Tillerson said at the state department. China is North Korea’s neighbour and its sole major trading partner.
While Mr Trump has been bellicose at times in Washington, Dec 1: The Trump administration is focused on denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and anything beyond that is not a priority at this point, the White House said on Friday.
“This administration is focused on one big thing when it comes to North Korea. And that’s denuclearisation of the Korean penninsula.
That’s our number one priority. That’s what we’re focused on. Anything beyond that is not the priority at this point,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters.