Tillerson: China agrees on 'action' on North Korea as navy strike group sails

Guardian ^ | 9 April 2017 | Edward Helmore and agencies

[TigerLikesRooster]

Tillerson: China agrees on 'action' on North Korea as navy strike group sails

Secretary of state: ‘President Xi understands the situation has intensified’ Syria missile strike described by North as ‘intolerable act of aggression’

Edward Helmore and agencies Sunday 9 April 2017 15.31 BST

As the US navy deployed a strike group towards the western Pacific Ocean, to provide a presence near the Korean peninsula, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said China agrees with the Trump administration that “action has to be taken” regarding North Korea.

Tillerson told CBS’s Face the Nation, in an interview broadcast on Sunday, that when Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping met at Mar-a-Lago this week, they “had extensive discussions around the dangerous situation in North Korea”.

“President Xi clearly understands, and I think agrees, that the situation has intensified and has reached a certain level of threat that action has to be taken,” Tillerson said.

Tillerson described a “shared view and no disagreement as to how dangerous the situation has become”.

In view of the regional threat now posed by North Korean missile tests and nuclear ambitions, he said, the Chinese “do not believe the conditions are right today to engage in discussions with the government in Pyongyang”.

“We’re hopeful,” he added, “that we can work together with the Chinese to change the conditions in the minds of the DPRK leadership. And then, at that point, perhaps discussions may be useful.

[Pride in the USA]

Why not a joint effort that includes both China and the United States of America?

[caww]

There’s little they won’t need.....the entire population needs deprogramming.

[Sparticus]

I agree. China’s not Maoist anymore and the Dear Leader is not as competent or rational as his grandfather was.

North Korea was a junkyard dog which has now become rabid and needs to be put down, even China knows that.

North Korea has long been an important part of China's strategic calculus. I don't expect them to take the Norks down any time soon. Lean on them, maybe, but North Korea is too important to China's ambitions to eliminate altogether. North Korea acts as an important second front in the case of conflict between China and the US and our allies in South East Asia. In the case of a shooting war between China and Taiwan or Japan we have to divide our forces in the region to also contain the North Koreans which is immensely valuable for China's war planning.

[itsahoot]

Stalin had atomic weapons of his own at that point, he was behind the invasion by the North to begin with, and would certainly have used the atomic weapons of the USSR against us if we had gone atomic.

That is exactly what Harry said. I didn't believe him either.

[Jumper]

How long will it run.... In 1980 NK had a population of over 70 million people; the South had around 36M. Today the North has less than 40M while the South is approaching 60M. To answer how long it can run... about another 20M starving people over the next 10 years.

[Antoninus]

Hide Kimmy...China sold u out.

Don't believe it for a second. Kim is China's puppet. If he provokes the US, it's because China told him to. If China reigns him in, it's only because we've offered concessions somewhere else--such as Taiwan. That's how this game works.

[Enchante]

Noooo... North Korea has never been anywhere near 70 million in population. They were below 20 million in the 1960s and have increased slowly since then.... always well below the pop. of South Korea:

https://www.google.com/search?q=population+of+north+korea&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

[mulder1]

My personal view is that the Syrian missile strike was a dual purpose. One to give Assad a warning to not use weapons of mass destruction(chemical weapons). The second to demonstrate to Chinese President Ping the capability and will of the U.S. administration to stop the spread and use of W.M.D. They then agreed that the spread of WMD is not in the interest of the U.S. or China. There endeth the lesson.

[gleeaikin]

On the other hand with at least 50 nukes each, if India and Pakistan really went at it we would have serious fallout and radiation sickness problems in the US and in other countries we are friendly with. Catastrophic world aid would be needed from those countries not so seriously affected to be unable to offer some help.

[gleeaikin]

Kidnap Un, send him to the International Court and trial for murdering his relatives and others. Maybe the Chinese would do something like that.