U. S. Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson is making his second trip to China since taking office in February, and relations between the two world powers have rarely mattered so much.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U. S. Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson is making his second trip to China since taking office in February, and relations between the two world powers have rarely mattered so much.
The standoff over North Korea’s nuclear weapons has entered a new, dangerous phase as its leader, Kim Jong-un, and President Donald Trump exchange personal insults and threats of war with no sign of a diplomatic solution.
Even as Washington and Beijing grapple with that security crisis, Trump wants action from China for more balanced trade with America — a dispute with ramifications for the global economy.
Tillerson, facing criticism at home for his muted impact as the top U. S. diplomat, will be laying the groundwork for Trump’s planned visit to China in November. He meets Saturday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other Chinese leaders.
What will be on the agenda:
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NORTH KOREA
Tillerson will be pushing China to fully implement the latest U. N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea and take further steps on limiting crucial oil supplies to its troublesome neighbor. If the restrictions on trade in textiles, coal and other commodities are properly enforced, North Korea will lose the vast majority of its export revenue. In its latest step to comply with the sanctions, China on Thursday ordered North Korean-owned businesses to close by early January.
China accounts for about 90 percent of North Korea’s foreign trade, so it’s pivotal in the U. S.-led campaign to exert economic pressure with the aim of getting the pariah nation to disarm. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tuesday that “China has taken tremendous steps in the right direction.” Trump has also lauded an order by China for its banks to stop dealing with North Korea, although Beijing has yet to announce such a measure.
