China appears to have crossed Trump on North Korea

[Zippyjuan]

http://www.businessinsider.com/china...-korea-2017-11

After a 12-day trip to Asia in which President Donald Trump stressed his friendship and mutual understanding with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Beijing appears to have crossed Trump on a key issue: North Korea.

At every turn during his trip, Trump insisted that the US's goal was North Korea's denuclearization. He stressed the "grave threat" he said the rogue nuclear nation posed to millions in the region and around the world.

But China seems to have rejected the idea of denuclearization and instead wants the US to settle for a freeze in North Korea's nuclear program in exchange for a freeze in the US's military drills with South Korea.

On Wednesday, Trump said he and Xi "agreed that we would not accept a so-called freeze-for-freeze agreement like those that have consistently failed in the past."

On Thursday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, said a dual suspension, the Chinese's preferred term for the "freeze-for-freeze" deal, was the "most feasible, fair, and sensible plan in the present situation."

The difference of opinion has gone on for years, with China repeatedly suggesting the dual freeze and the US routinely rejecting it.

Back in March, when China made the same suggestion, Mark Toner, then the acting spokesman for the State Department, explained the US's objection.

Toner said comparing the US's transparent, planned, defensive, 40-year-old military drills with North Korea's illegal pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles was a case of "apples to oranges."

The return to the old stalemate between China and the US undercuts the progress Trump hailed after returning from his Asia trip.

But even beyond the stalemate, South Korea, the US's staunch ally, also expressed doubts about the practicality of denuclearization.

"If talks begin to resolve the North Korea nuclear issue, I feel it will be realistically difficult for North Korea to completely destroy its nuclear capabilities when their nuclear and missile arsenal are at a developed stage," South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in a briefing Tuesday.

More at link.

[oyarde]

Why would the US halt military drills with south korea ? North Korea actually fires on them Trump is correct , any such agreement would be a joke .

[oyarde]

My preference would be US withdrawal from south korea and sell the south whatever they like to use on the north .

[Zippyjuan]

South Korea is right too- North Korea will not give up having nuclear weapons. And US won't give up having military exercises. US can't get a non-nuclear North Korea short of militarily taking over the entire country.

[r3volution 3.0]

Why would the US halt military drills with south korea ?

What do they accomplish?

The Norks definitely aren't going to either attack S. Korea unprovoked or give up their nukes.

The exercises are a waste of perfectly good jet fuel.

[shakey1]

N Korea isn't giving up their nukes... that ship has sailed.

[oyarde]

If the US withdraws , and I wish they would , then yes , the north would invade the south .

[oyarde]

Do not be fooled into thinking the north will ever act in a rational or humane manner . They will not .

[r3volution 3.0]

If the US withdraws , and I wish they would , then yes , the north would invade the south .

Such an attack would be suicidal (their military is a joke compared to that of the South), and they're not suicidal.

Do not be fooled into thinking the north will ever act in a rational or humane manner . They will not .

If they were suicidal, they'd have already attacked, regardless of the US presence.

[nikcers]

This whole thing was designed like the Iran deal. Supposedly they were giving China a good deal, rumors is we bailed out their economy on black Monday. They were supposed to do something impossible though, make NK submit to the western world order. Its like asking someone to give them the moon and then getting mad at them for not doing it.

[Slave Mentality]

Do not be fooled into thinking the north will ever act in a rational or humane manner . They will not .

You must remember that you don't know half the story. Only what they want us to know.

I don't see NK invading half the $#@!ing planet...

[timosman]

[timosman]

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...To-North-Korea