As tensions with North Korea have risen, the US has been eager to impose new sanctions on them. Since the US doesn’t trade with North Korea in the first place, that has mostly boiled down to sanctions against Chinese companies that do.
The ease with which the Trump Administration has made sanctioning North Korea mean sanctioning China is coupled with a lot of angry blaming of China from US officials, who still expect them to solve North Korea unilaterally. China is unsurprisingly viewing itself as a target.
President Trump campaigned on trade with China being unfair, and many see that driving their actions against China as part of North Korea policy. Trump has presented North Korea’s continued tests as an “embarrassment” to China, and suggests the US could cut all trade with every nation that trades with North Korea, which covers a lot of nations, but especially China.
There is little sense that officials expect this to accomplish anything. Rather, Trump came into the situation with an axe to grind against China, and found it a fertile field for doing that. China, however, is increasingly annoyed at being blamed for that effort.
Interestingly, President Trump has conceded at times that China doesn’t have the capability to force North Korea to unilaterally give in to US demands. Despite this, he and other officials repeatedly go back to that claim, and talk of pressuring China to get them to do so.
I wonder if Trump’s Treasury Secretary has told him just how much US Treasury IOU’s China actually holds – and what would happen if China decided to call them in.
China doesn’t hold any “Treasury IOUs” that they can “call in.” They hold US government debt in the form of bonds. They could drive up interest rates on new US government borrowing by dumping those bonds on the market, though.
Thanks for the correction. I knew it was something like that but I’m not a “finance” maven so was basically winging it.
Maybe China should “push” us regarding Israel and the Middle East.
Exactly. China will be forced to invade to stop North Koreans fleeing the inevitable retaliation from the US and the South if Kim strikes out but if it does that it will be stuck in a “iraq” of it’s own in northern Korea which could spill over the border or hurt it financially (will if DC has anything to do with it). How is that pivot to Asia for you?
Its the same as the Coup in the Ukraine, the goal was to strip Russia of its naval base in the Crimea and reduce Russia back to what it was under Ivan back in the 16th century , what they didn’t count on was Putin seizing it and dumping worthless Ukraine with a expensive rebellion in the East.
China can’t do much about the situation except tell DC and Kim to knock it off which is in the interest of neither to do.
North Korea is China and the ex-Soviet Union’s devil baby. They can denounce DPRK’s nuclear and missile programs while standing against the American presence in South Korea, but they have no right to tell America how to behave on its allies’ lands. There would be no South Korea but for the effort of U.S. veterans. A prime solution would be for China and Russia to negotiate a denuclearization of North Korea – bring that to the table in return for cessation of exercises in the South and a reopening of trade; but Kim Jong-Un will not allow it ! It’s Kim who wants hundreds of ICBMs with hydrogen bombs, and it’s Kim who threatens America, Japan, and South Korea.
The devil-child will not cooperate with its parents, and stopping the allowance money isn’t helping. Some children just don’t stop until they are spanked.
I don’t think the pentagon is too keen on ending the military exercises in the South. And why should North Korea denuclearize? They have to look no further than Iraq or Libya to understand that. I wonder why we don’t attack Pakistan for “harboring” the Taliban?
You have to ask why the North should denuclearize ?
Because nukes don’t protect them. They do the opposite.
The US government, which is in full command of South Korea, including its military and its nuclear policy, can’t understand why China lacks similar authority over North Korea. That’s how ignorant they are.
How’s about US establish a minimum wage for ALL imports. $10/hr on every product which crosses US border. US is the Emporer of da world, let’s act like it. In fact, $10 worldwide. fck you!