Trump, China, and the Politics of Nuclear Weapons

[Draggingtree]

American Greatness

Trump, China, and the Politics of Nuclear Weapons

By Brian T. Kennedy| July 8, 2017

Before leaving for the G20 Summit in Germany, President Trump said the era of strategic patience is over. This comes after the return of the imprisoned American, Otto Warmbier, who died in the arms of his family after being tortured by the North Koreans, followed by yet another ballistic missile test over the Sea of Japan. We may not be on the brink of war, but China and North Korea are playing a dangerous game. Understanding this relationship is therefore central.

It begins with the recognition that North Korea and China are joined geographically, economically, and ideologically. On a strategic level, they are as much southern China as North Korea. North Korea depends on China for food and energy, and 90 percent of North Korea’s trade is with the Chinese. It is inconceivable that President Xi Jinping could not stop Kim Jong-Un’s missile testing and nuclear program if he so desired. It is then a matter of high government policy that he does not.