J. Michael Cole, National Interest: Why China Will Never Put America First
The Trump administration will eventually awaken to the fact that Beijing cannot, and has no desire to, deliver on North Korea.
Supporters of Taiwan have experienced both elation and dejection in recent months as President Donald Trump first seemed prepared to embrace the democratic island-nation only to turn around and instead engage in a romance with Chinese president Xi Jinping.
The initial optimism resulted in large part from Trump’s campaign rhetoric, which promised a much more rigid line on China and an end to President Obama’s supposedly “weak” way of dealing with the authoritarians in Beijing on issues from currency manipulation to territorial expansion, human rights to cyber espionage. For those who regard geopolitics as a zero-sum game between states, this stance held the promise of creating more space and opportunities for Taiwan.
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WNU Editor: Been saying the same thing for years. China has a lot of leverage with North Korea .... but there are reluctant to use it. It is also true that North Korea is becoming an embarrassment for many in Beijing, and times are changing among the leadership in China. Many of them (if not all of them) have no respect or sympathy for Kim Jung Un, and view him as one big fat piece of (fill in the blank). And if Kim Jong Un should find himself in trouble on the home front among his own inner circle, I will not be surprised if China decides to not help him at all. But for the moment .... from Beijing's perspective everything is contained .... even though North Korea's missile and nuclear weapon's program is making everyone else nervous.
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