Trump slams China over North Korea stance
WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump warned that he would not allow China to "do nothing" on North Korea, after the hermit state launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) it boasted could reach the US.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un boasted of his country's ability to strike any target in the US after the ICBM test that weapons experts said could even bring New York into range.
Under Mr Kim's leadership, North Korea has stepped up its drive towards a credible nuclear strike capability, in defiance of international condemnation and multiple United Nations sanctions.
In his critique of Beijing, which came in two tweets, Mr Trump linked trade strains with the Asian giant - marked by a trade deficit of US$309 billion (S$419 billion) last year - to policy on North Korea, after South Korea indicated it was speeding up the deployment of a US missile defence system that has infuriated China.
"I am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet they do nothing for us with North Korea, just talk," Mr Trump wrote.
"We will no longer allow this to continue.
"China could easily solve this problem!"
Mr Trump, who is at loggerheads with Beijing over how to handle Kim's regime, has repeatedly urged China to rein in its recalcitrant neighbour, but Beijing insists dialogue is the only practical way forward. - AFP
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