Stop war, N. Korea urges Americans
BEIJING— Referring to US President Donald Trump as a “lunatic old man,” North Korea called on Americans to oust him. State-run media in North Korea said America should force Trump out of power to stop the war and “get rid of the abyss of doom.” Trump is currently in Beijing, where he asked Xi Jinping to pressure Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear arms.
BEIJING— North Korea responded to US President Donald Trump’s tough words in Asia by saying the United States should oust him from power.
State-run media in North Korea referred to Trump as a “lunatic old man.”
It said the United States should force Trump out “to get rid of the abyss of doom.”
The United States should heed the advice, said North Korea, “if it does not want a horrible nuclear disaster and tragic doom.”
Trump is in China, where he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to exert more pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
Before arriving in China on Wednesday, Trump told the South Korean National Assembly that “all responsible nations must join forces to isolate the brutal regime of North Korea.”
Real talk
Trump’s visit to China opened with diplomatic niceties aplenty from Xi, but thorny issues awaited the two world leaders behind closed doors.
Among them were potential tensions over trade and China’s willingness to put the squeeze on North Korea.
Before his arrival, Trump issued a stern message to China, using an address to the National Assembly in South Korea to call on nations to confront North Korea.
White House officials said Trump would make the same pitch to Xi in private when the two sit down for a meeting on Thursday.
China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and Trump is expected to demand that the nation curtail its dealings with Pyongyang and expel North Korean workers from its borders.
Trump said his welcome in Beijing was “unforgettable.”
The ceremony accompanying Trump’s arrival on Wednesday afternoon was elaborate even by China’s lavish standards.
Trump and his wife, Melania, were met by Chinese and American dignitaries, soldiers, a band playing martial music and children waving miniature Chinese and American flags.
Lavish
Trump said he’s having a “great time” in China.
China pulled out all the stops to welcome Trump.
Trump also toured the sprawling Forbidden City compound in the heart of Beijing.
The 15th-century compound was the imperial palace for several dynasties. Access was forbidden to all but the imperial family and those who had business with them.
Trump, Xi and their wives walked through the Gate of Supreme Harmony and gazed across a sprawling yet deserted courtyard. They all wore overcoats against the chill.
After a guide explained the sites, the couples walked down a flight of stairs and into the courtyard.
Centerpiece
They posed for photos, strolled toward the Palace of Supreme Peace and climbed another long flight of stairs.
White House aides viewed Trump’s visit to China as the centerpiece of his lengthy tour of Asia.
Trump is mired in consistently low approval ratings at home and will encounter a newly emboldened Xi, who recently consolidated power in his country.
Before arriving in Beijing, Trump used a speech to South Korea’s National Assembly to send China a stern message.
He called on China to stop supporting North Korea, China’s largest trading partner.—