A terse and potentially ominous statement in 23 words issued by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on North Korea’s latest missile test forms the immediate setting, but President Donald Trump’s first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday could be the beginning of a reorientation of bilateral ties.
“North Korea launched yet another intermediate range ballistic missile. The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment,” Mr. Tillerson said.
Earlier on Wednesday, North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast. The missile flew about 60 km from its launch site at Sinpo, a port city on the east coast, South Korea said. Sinpo is home to a North submarine base.
The Secretary of State had said last month that military options to neutralise North Korea’s nuclear capability were on the table. Mr. Trump has repeatedly blamed China for not taking effective measures to rein in Pyongyang. “North Korea is behaving very badly. They have been ‘playing’ the United States for years. China has done little to help,” the President said in a tweet last month.
“North Korea will be the real deal that Mr. Trump will be looking for,” said Sourabh Gupta, Resident Fellow at the Institute for China America Studies in Washington. “North Korea has become a serious threat to the U.S. On trade, the President has built a campaign that is based on beliefs that he has held for 30 years and it may not be easy for him to make a quick turnaround,” said Mr. Gupta.
China has tightened sanctions on North Korea in recent months but it has not touched the oil supply to it and there is still more leverage available for Beijing. “But China has its own North Korean policy, independent of what the U.S. might want.” From India’s perspective, Mr. Trump’s approach to American allies in Asia will be of significance, according to Mr. Gupta.
The Trump administration has undertaken a review of the U.S. government’s North Korea policy, which is being coordinated by National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. “A broad outline, if not more detailed recommendations, will be on the President’s desk prior to his meeting with President Xi,” Mr. Gupta said.
The One-China policy and trade will be the other two issues that could dominate the conversations between the two leaders over Thursday and Friday. Mr. Gupta observes “a number of disquieting undercurrents in America’s Taiwan Straits policy from China’s point of view”.
“President Xi is likely to try to pin the American President down with two categorical demands: first, that the official level of U.S. representation to the government in Taipei must not be upgraded in any way; second, that U.S. must refrain from any sale of sophisticated arms to Taipei,” he said.
Trade and economic policy issues could also lead to what Mr. Trump has described as “difficult” talks with the Chinese leader. But on this, the U.S. President will be more thoughtful and planned, compared to the urgency he is showing about the North Korean threat. “His pushback against China on trade will come a bit later,” according to Mr. Gupta.
A recent study by the U.S. China Business Council pointed that an average American family saved $850 every year because of cheap goods from China. “Chinese manufacturing lowered prices in the U.S for consumer goods, dampening inflation and putting more money in American wallets. At an aggregate level, U.S consumer prices are 1 percent -1.5 percent lower because of cheaper Chinese exports,” the report said.
