A Chinese newspaper warned Monday that United State President Donald Trump's order that his government probe supposedly unfair trade practices by Beijing could strain relations between the two world powers.
Pressure on China to crack down on North Korea
Senior US officials revealed on Saturday that President Trump is expected on Monday to issue a directive for investigations into the possibility that china enforces trade practices that force American companies operating in the Asian country to turn over intellectual property.
Trump's move comes at a time when he has urged China to put more effort into convincing Pyongyang to scale down its nuclear missile program, failure to which the United States could initiate military action against Pyongyang.
The American President has indicated that he would be willing to go easy on China if Xi Jinping's government gets more firm in reigning-in North Korea. In an editorial, state-run China Daily stressed that it was important for the United States government to not rush into decisions that it could later regret.
China is not North Korea's accomplice
The newspaper stated that when one studies Trump's approach to foreign affairs, it is important to agree that the American President is not happy with what he sees as China's reluctance and failure to force North Korea to tone down its actions. The government newspaper, however, warned that instead of strengthening America's interest, the politicizing of trade would only serve to worsen the United State's economic difficulties, while simultaneously creating cracks in the relations between it and China.
A top US official has stated that the potential trade probe is not a tactic to pressure China on the North Korea issue, adding that diplomacy is the way forward to calm tensions between Pyongyang and Washington. However, the China Daily said that it was wrong for the US government to burden China with the task of convincing the north to desist from its provocative actions.
The Chinese government mouthpiece said that by blaming Beijing and treating it as an accomplice in Kim Jong-un's nuclear ambitions, Trump could end up creating divisions in the international coalition that is meant to resolve the issue. The newspaper voiced its belief that the North Korea stalemate should be blamed on all the involved parties.
The newspaper went on to voice hope that Trump would find another way to deal with Pyongyang. It warned that should the United States continue scapegoating China; things could become even more complicated.
