Trump’s team declared the missile test a ‘sharp military escalation’ that warranted new sanctions, but China has other thoughts.
Chinese denials of « responsibility » to curb North Korea’s nuclear weapons program met with a curt dismissal from the State Department.
« Hm, okay, » State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert replied when informed that a Chinese government spokesman had pushed back against U. S. pressure. « We continue to have conversations with Chinese government officials at all levels, at the highest levels, and we continue to say, ‘Thanks for what you’ve done, but we expect and we want you to do a whole lot more.' »
President Trump’s team regards North Korea’s nuclear weapons program as one of the most pressing national security issues. The regime tested a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile last week, a first-of-its-kind display that suggests North Korea has acquired the ability to hit the United States with a missile strike. China has resisted pressure from Trump to help deprive the pariah state of revenue by propping up some North Korean industries even as they implement international sanctions on others.
