There has been a lot of tension between North Korea and the United States lately because the Communist country is developing nuclear weapons that could reach America. Even more, the North Korean government declares that it has already developed a missile capable of reaching the west coast of United States. Rex Tillerson has declared that Americans don't seek the collapse of the regime nor send the military north of the 38th parallel, which is the border between both Koreas, but he says that the government of Kim Jong-un is presenting an unacceptable threat.
It is also believed that Donald Trump would react in an aggressive way if North Koreans keep developing their nuclear weapons program. US Senator Lindsey Graham also talks about military options if North Korea continues with the development of nuclear missiles.
Trump, China and North Korea
Just a few days ago Donald Trump stated that China makes hundreds of billions trading with the US but the Asian country isn't cooperating to stop North Korea. Trump believes that China has to put pressure on the North Korean government to stop its nuclear program. The Chinese trade surplus with the US is almost $350 billion, of far the greatest on the planet. This is one of the reasons that have made China a powerful country.
A lot of factories and jobs in China depend on that trade surplus. The Chinese dislike Trump's comment and have told him: ‘Don’t stab us in the back.’
A Communist monarchy
North Korea is the first Communist monarchy on the planet, it has been ruled by a family. The first leader was Kim Il-sung and he remained 45 years in power.
He fought in the Korea War against the United States and its allies, he sided with Mao Zedong and belonged to the family of Stalinist countries. The next leader was one of his sons, Kim Jong-il, who remained in power 17 years. Then comes Kim Jong-un who has been the head of the North Korean government since 2011 until now. Trump will have to negotiate with a tough country, North Korea isn't the Poland or Hungary of the 80s that wanted a change of government.
No reforms as in China or Vietnam
North Korea has been called the Jurassic Park of Communism, there have been no reforms as in China during the Deng Xiaoping era. Deng made a lot of economic reforms that revitalized the Chinese economy and that country has grown about 8% per year the last 4 decades. About ten years after the reforms in China, the Vietnamese government made similar changes that increased the economic growth. Those reforms were known as Doi Moi and they have increased the exports and economic growth of Vietnam. On the other hand, North Korea remains poor and stuck in the past.
