China has been hesitant to isolate North Korea too much, for fear that the relationship with Pyongyang is severed.
Former CIA Director David Petraeus said President Trump’s taunts against North Korea leader Kim Jong Un are not necessarily aimed at Kim, but rather primarily serve as a warning to China.
Petraeus said Trump’s remarks about destroying “Little Rocket Man,” his nickname for Kim, with “fire and fury” could signal to China that Trump is serious about employing military actions against North Korea, if international sanctions do persuade Pyongyang to end its nuclear program, Petraeus told CNN’s Jake Tapper at the Washington Ideas Forum on Thursday. Petraeus also said that concern about a second Korean War should be more concerning than overthrowing Kim to China.
Petraeus said Trump’s language may be a message to China saying “You’ve got to help us stop [the North Korean nuclear program] where it is at the very least [and] get to some negotiations,” the Atlantic reported .
