“Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter,” he tweeted Wednesday, without noting the source of the statistic. The Chinese side often sees U.S. moves in South Korea, from joint exercises to missile defense as maneuvers designed to counter Chinese military might. “It’s not very likely that China will follow the will of the U.S. and put a ‘heavy move’ on North Korea, like what President Trump has called for,” said Deng Yuwen, a Beijing-based expert on North Korea. Lastly, Beijing does not have the same sense of urgency when it comes to the North Korea. “Chinese analysts continue to argue that no amount of pressure, short of what might cause a collapse, will bring North Korea to denuclearize,” Kovrig said.

Source: Washington Post July 06, 2017 09:46 UTC