Trump says US is ready to act alone on North Korea

Asked if he would consider a “grand bargain” in which China pressured Pyongyang in return for a guarantee the United States would later remove troops from the Korean peninsula, the newspaper quoted Mr Trump as saying: ‘Well, if China is not going to solve North Korea, we will.

He told the daily that North Korea would rank high on the list of priorities at the summit and uttered dark warnings unless Beijing cooperates.

Trump also said he will use trade as an incentive for China to take action on the North.

Trump, who has taken a harsh stance on China’s trade practices, last week tweeted that the meeting “will be a very hard one”, citing massive trade deficits and American job losses.

Here’s everything you need to know about the White House’s position on China and North Korea as the United States prepares for a visit from China’s president.

The meeting is set to take place in Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in the state of Florida.

This is the first time the two leaders meet and will have as a topic for discussion the nuclear threat coming from North Korea.

Still, others aren’t so sure that Trump will back up his tough talk.

Beijing fears a potential North Korean collapse, which would result in “a unified Korea allied with the United States on their border”, Carter said.

The review, which was led by national security adviser H.R. McMaster, proposes a multi-pronged approach aimed at tightening the screws on North Korea economically and militarily, the official said.

Donald Trump has said the USA is prepared to take action against North Korea if China does not toughen its stance over Kim Jong-Un’s nuclear programme.

Asked how he would tackle North Korea, he told the FT: “I’m not going to tell you”.

While diplomatic and economic support from China is believed to be crucial to the survival of the Pyongyang regime, Beijing insists it has limited influence.

Military tensions between Washington and Beijing have risen in recent years, primarily related to U.S. commitments to its allies in the region.

Trump vowed during the presidential campaign to have China labeled a currency manipulator on his first day in office, which didn’t happen.

On Thursday, Trump predicted a “very difficult” summit, noting the disputes over trade policy between the world’s two most powerful nations and leading economies.

However, Trump told the FT he does not “want to talk about tariffs yet, perhaps the next time we meet”.

TRUMP: It was a very, very warm conversation.

But 52 percent of Americans still see China as most of an economic threat than a military one.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) warned that recent satellite imagery indicates North Korea is getting ready to detonate its sixth nuclear device.

The North conducted two nuclear tests and 24 ballistic missile tests a year ago, defying six Security Council sanctions resolutions banning any testing.

This year, Pyongyang has fired several missiles, and USA defense officials told CNN that North Korea might be able to use a rocket engine it tested last month in an intercontinental ballistic missile.

This has deepened concern in Washington that Pyongyang could soon develop a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching the US mainland.