The Trump administration is reportedly considering using financial penalties to punish China, according to U.S. officials.
The president’s advisers are crafting a plan which could involve trade restrictions and economic sanctions, two administration officials revealed to Politico. President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with China’s inability to resolve the crisis on the Korean Peninsula.
Trump repeatedly criticized China on the campaign trail, attacking Beijing for its trade practices, but when he met Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago in April, he offered better trade relations in exchange for China’s help with North Korea.
China has so far failed to put real pressure on North Korea, which has demonstrated the ability to strike targets in the U.S. North Korea has twice tested its new Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile, which experts assess can hit targets as far away as Chicago, possibly even farther.
Trump expressed his frustration with China in a series of tweets over the weekend. “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 they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!”
The Chinese government pushed back hard against Trump’s strongly-worded criticisms. “We think the North Korea nuclear issue and China-U.S. trade are issues that are in two completely different domains. They aren’t related. They should not be discussed together,” Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Qian Keming said in response.
China also argues that it is making clear efforts to resolve the crisis on the peninsula.
For Trump, a deal maker, the two are absolutely connected. As North Korea becomes more of a problem, Trump’s frustration with China grows, leading him and his administration to put greater pressure on China by targeting Beijing’s strategic national interests.
The Department of State has listed China among the worst human traffickers, the Department of the Treasury has sanctioned a Chinese bank for laundering money for North Korea and the president has approved a huge arms sale to Taiwan. The Navy has conducted two freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, and the Air Force has sent advanced bombers on flyby missions in the region.
Now, the U.S. is apparently considering financial penalties against China, potentially threatening trade as other U.S. officials have hinted in recent weeks.
The president’s advisers are expected to make decisions pertaining to a China policy plan this week.
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