Nikki Haley said the Trump administration will tighten the screws further on China in order to pressure North Korea to slow down their production of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The American ambassador to the United Nations said on CBS Sunday that China has been “helpful, but we need them to do more” in the wake of North Korea testing an ICBM last week. The Trump administration believes China is the key to containing North Korea’s development of destructive weapons.
Haley said trade measures and economic measures can be taken against China in order to push President Xi Jinping into doing more to stop North Korea from developing more missiles.
“This is encouraging and motivating China to say this is a whole new level, this is an ICBM test. We need you to do more,” she said.
President Trump has used Twitter to pressure China to do more to discourage North Korea from developing dangerous weapons, and last week said it appears that strategy has failed.
“While I greatly appreciate the efforts of President Xi & China to help with North Korea, it has not worked out. At least I know China tried!” he tweeted on June 20.
On July 5, he tweeted, “Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us – but we had to give it a try!” Later he said he wasn’t giving up on Xi working with North Korea.
Haley said China has actually done much of what Trump and his administration have asked.
“They actually followed through on the things that we asked them to do,” she said, “whether it was coal, whether it was talking to them … they did that part. We have to say now, clearly, that’s not enough.”
