President Trump said Monday he believes North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will honor an agreement between the two countries to eliminate nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, but warned China against trying to work against that agreement.
“I have confidence that Kim Jong Un will honor the contract we signed &, even more importantly, our handshake,” Trump tweeted. “We agreed to the denuclearization of North Korea. China, on the other hand, may be exerting negative pressure on a deal because of our posture on Chinese Trade-Hope Not!”
I have confidence that Kim Jong Un will honor the contract we signed &, even more importantly, our handshake. We agreed to the denuclearization of North Korea. China, on the other hand, may be exerting negative pressure on a deal because of our posture on Chinese Trade-Hope Not!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2018
The tweet comes on the heels of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s third trip to North Korea over the weekend. Pompeo told reporters that Kim is “still committed” to denuclearization, but North Korean officials took a different tone.
“The attitude and demands from the U.S. side during the high-level talks were nothing short of deeply regrettable,” the foreign ministry said.
The Trump administration began imposing tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods Friday, and Trump's message reflects a growing worry that the trade war between the U.S. and China might prompt China to alter its position on North Korea.
