No Progress Form China On North Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump (3rdL) holds a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping (2ndR) at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., April 7, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Ralph Jennings, Forbes: China And The U.S. Are Cooling Their Cooperation To Curb North Korea

Give the world’s two superpowers credit for effort but don’t expect a whole lot more. Since the presidents of China and the United States met for their first time in April, they’ve spoken the language of cooperation to hobble North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs spearheaded by the enigmatic leader Kim Jong-un. To appease China, which doesn't want the Kim regime to collapse and leave a power vacuum on its border, a senior U.S. admiral had said the United States wants to bring North Korea not to its “knees,” just its “senses.” China reportedly planned to cut the flow of petroleum to North Korea in a sanction-like gesture likely to win favor with Washington.

But Trump shows signs of wanting more out of his cooperation with China, especially now as everyone’s asking whether 22-year-old American student Otto Warmbier was intentionally hurt in North Korea before his release -- and death a week later. North Korea had detained him for a year on suspicion of stealing a propaganda poster. “(Trump) commented personally…that he continues to be very troubled by what happened to Otto Warmbier and would like to see China do more,” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told a briefing Friday.

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WNU Editor: Both countries are not on the same page when it comes to North Korea. North Korea may be a top priority for the U.S. .... New U.S. ambassador to China says North Korea a top priority (Reuters) .... but China's priority is the removal of THAAD .... China asked U.S. officials to remove THAAD from South Korea (UPI). My prediction .... When Trump and Xi met at Mar-a-Lago in April, China asked for and got a 100 day grace period over North Korea .... Report: Chinese President Xi Asked For A '100-Day Grace Period' On North Korea (May 22, 2017). We are now coming up on that 100 days .... and nothing has changed. My prediction .... we saw a glimpse of where the U.S. is going on China today .... U.S. Brands China as Among Worst Human Trafficking Offenders (US News and World Report/Reuters). But it is going to be on this issue that will raise the "hackles" in China .... Trump growing frustrated with China, weighs trade steps: officials (Reuters).

Update: The U.S. is also eyeing on what Russia may do when it comes to North Korea .... U.S. worries Russia could step up North Korea support to fill China void (Reuters).