They might face an escalating trade war with Beijing, but Trump administration officials are optimistic that China will play a constructive role in ongoing U.S. diplomatic efforts with North Korea.
Kim Jong Un concluded another visit with President Xi Jinping of China on Wednesday, and Trump administration officials are generally positive about Beijing’s approach towards Pyongyang. They sense that Beijing is playing a constructive role in persuading Kim to stay true to his commitments on denuclearization.
Addressing concerns that China is now actively weakening its sanctions enforcement against Kim’s regime, a senior administration official told me that U.S. and Chinese officials had held “good meetings” in recent days and that the U.S. “reiterated [the sanctions enforcement] expectation in all of our conversations with Chinese officials.”
Allies are echoing the U.S. line in their own dealings with Beijing. A British government spokesman told me: “We continue to urge China to use its unique influence and economic leverage over North Korea so that North Korea abide by the measures taken by the UN Security Council and negotiate with the US in good faith.”
That “unique influence” reference speaks to a broader U.S. effort to align allies in impressing the belief onto China that it will be judged on its North Korean actions. It also reflects caution from other quarters. The U.S. and British intelligence communities are more skeptical of Chinese commitments and North Korean conduct but believe that if the Trump administration constantly pushes Beijing not let up the pressure on Pyongyang, it can succeed here.
What about the tariffs?
It’s a separate issue, Trump administration officials say. While officials do see China-related tariffs as a national security concern, they don’t explicitly tie tariff battles into their dealings with China on the North Korean question. Instead, befitting Trump’s unpredictable policy strategy, officials are happy pressuring China on trade and praising its actions on Korea.
A National Security Council official told me that the administration “appreciate[s] China’s continuing commitment to achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula….” Again, however, the language matters: The U.S. emphasis on “complete” and the British emphasis on “unique influence” are not so subtle reminders that China will be judged on what it does or does not do.
Of course, recognizing that Xi is a master of grand strategy, the administration seems happy to take this one day at a time.
