United States President Donald Trump says that it is in the best of his interests to diplomatically solve the North Korea crisis but a major conflict could also be a possibility.
Chinese position on the matter is that of negotiation to resolve it.
The United Nations Security Council on the other hand holds a meeting to discuss further any available alternative for countering the North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes.
The country has been very active in advancing its military might but its military tests have so far been a failure throughout.
The sanctions imposed on it have so far not deterred Kim Jong-Un from pushing forth with plans to develop a long range ballistic missile. As a response to all these efforts, the US deployed the THAAD system to the region to combat any nuclear attack if it so happens. This is a move strongly condemned by China as it believes that the US may use THAAD’s powerful radar to survey on it instead of just countering the North.
Negotiate with North Korea
According to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Washington will make attempts to negotiate with North Korea and drive towards eradicating nuclear weapons from the country rather than change the government.
While speaking to NPR radio, the Secretary of State said that Trump’s administration does not intend to cause a regime collapse but rather reunify the Korean Peninsula.
“We seek a denuclearised Korean peninsula – and that is entirely consistent with the objectives of others in the region as well,” he said.
North Korea has in recent months conducted repeated nuclear tests and even threatens to conduct the sixth one.
Mr Tillerson continued to explain that China, a close ally to North Korea, may have begun to consider the regime a liability if not a security risk.
“”What China is beginning to re-evaluate is whether North Korea is any kind of an asset to them, or whether North Korea themselves and the regime have become a liability to China’s own security.”
Trump and China
Within days after his election into power, Donald Trump accused China of having done little to bring sense in North Korea and warned that the US may consider taking unilateral action.
But Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister wouldn’t have any of that and warned that the tensions in the Korean Peninsula may get out of control and that the only way to approach the matter is from the diplomatic point of view.
Mr Tillerson informed the media that China has confirmed to the US of its willingness to impose stiffer sanctions on North Korea if it decides to hold more nuclear tests.
But Donald Trump may also be changing his opinion about China, going by the recent interview inside the Oval Office. The US President showered praises on China’s President Xi Jinping on how he handled the N. Korea issue and termed him a “good man” who seeks the best for his country.
“He loves China and he loves the people of China. I know he would like to be able to do something, perhaps it’s possible that he can’t.”
Trump also said that Mr. Kim has been undergoing tough times, considering he took over from his late father at a tender age. The President however stressed that he didn’t give him credit over his recent actions.