Donald Trump talked big against China before he became president. He criticized their currency manipulation as well as their control of the South China Sea. After coming to power he has toned down his anti-China rhetoric. He has replaced it with an obsession with North Korean nuclear missile technology. The Japanese and South Korean leaders are also talking about the North Korean threat. They seem oblivious to the threat from China which is 60 times more powerful than North Korea. This dichotomy defies explanation.
America and trade with China
The Americans are into a more lucrative trade deal with China.
In the bargain, they are also hoping that it will put pressure on North Korea so that the tiny nation abandons its nuclear program. As a quid pro quo, the Americans have also become less aggressive in the South China Sea. They are hoping China will rein in Kim Jong-un the Korean Dictator.
Probably Trump has not understood the character of both North Korea and China. North Korea has just fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile that flew 700 km into the Sea of Japan. This is a brazen violation of the UN Security Council resolution. It is obvious that if the Chinese had enforced the Security Council resolutions earlier, this test would not have taken place.
China and North Korea
China has played a double game and many are convinced that the North is a proxy of China.
China and North Korea have a close relationship. Despite this Kim Jong-un is not a stòoge of his big neighbor. It's debatable how much influence the Dragon really has in North Korea. One is also surprised as to why South Korea, Japan, and the USA are so concerned about North Korea, forgetting that the bigger threat is China.
The Dragon is on its way to becoming a global power and will try and displace the USA as the world's number one power.
The recent Chinese initiative of one belt one road and other trade lines is a way to help China achieve global power status. The U.S. by withdrawing from the Pacific trade agreement has left the door open for it to dominate this region
Trump and North Korea
Donald Trump is a man of action.
He has already said that he would be ready to meet the Korean dictator under the right circumstances. No American President has ever met a Korean leader. North Korea has also said that it would not mind meeting with the U.S.A under the right circumstances. This is the way forward and not by placating China.
Chinese view
The Chinese consider themselves to be the center of the world. Donald Trump may well be aware that what the Chinese say and do are two different things. The Dragon has a one point plan to dominate the world. It would be better if Donald Trump and America forgot their obsession with North Korea and concentrate on facing the Red Dragon
