Trump Tightens Screw on China: NYT

choi

Mark Landler, Trump Adopts a More Aggressive Stance With U.S. Allies and Adversaries in Asia. New York Times, July 1, 2017.https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/ ... th-korea-china.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/ ... th-korea-china.html

Quote:

"Meeting on Friday with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, Mr Trump demanded more access to Korean markets for American cars and less of what he called 'dumped' Korean steel in the United States * * * Mr Trump's decision on Thursday to impose sanctions on Chinese entities that do business with North Korea was interpreted by some as a shot across the bow not only to Beijing, but also to Mr Moon, since it emphasizes pressure over diplomacy.

" 'Trump has opted for coercion over engagement with allies and adversaries, even when the adversary [China] is pressuring the ally [S Korea, over THAAD],' said Evan S. Medeiros, who served as senior director on Asia in the National Security Council during the Obama administration. * * * Given that South Korea is already under intense pressure from the Chinese, some analysts said the harshness of Mr. Trump’s critique of South Korea on trade had caught them by surprise.  During the Oval Office meeting with Mr. Moon, Mr. Trump invited his commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, to recite a list of grievances.

"Mr Trump's aides said he also planned to push ahead with his trade campaign against China — freed up by his conclusion that China's president, Xi Jinping, had fallen short in pressuring North Korea to curb its behavior. Mr Trump had delayed introducing measures against China to encourage Mr Xi to use his influence with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un.

"It is not yet clear whether Mr Trump has given up on his relationship with Mr. Xi after cultivating him assiduously over a two-day summit meeting at the president's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, in April. * * * Tellingly, on Friday Mr Trump did not refer to China as an ally in the push to curb North Korea’s nuclear efforts. He said only that 'other regional powers and all responsible nations' should join the United States, South Korea and Japan in enforcing sanctions on the North Korean government.

Note: The report has not been translated into Chinese.