In a recent editorial directed at President Trump, Xinhua, the official news agency of the Chinese government criticized the president saying that his tweets are merely “emotional venting,” and not a way to craft meaningful diplomacy.
“Trump is quite a personality, and he likes to tweet,” said Xinhua. “But emotional venting cannot become a guiding policy for solving the nuclear issue on the [Korean] peninsula.”
The editorial came in response to Trump’s recent tweets attacking China’s refusal to cooperate in containing North Korean aggression.
I am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017
…they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017
While the relationship between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping began amicably with a dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort, this article edges towards more open hostility between the two superpowers.
“What the peninsula needs is immediately stamping out the fire, not adding kindling or, even worse, pouring oil on the flames,” Xinhua said, referring to the aggressive and accusatory language Trump has often used in his tweets towards the Chinese.
Seen as the only other viable partner in the region, the Chinese play a critical role in limiting North Korean influence on the peninsula and curbing their militaristic aims.