Has China Been Cornered?
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
WASHINGTON (CBSMiami) -- China is walking a tightrope.
While President Donald Trump has praised China for putting pressure on North Korea to curb its nuclear ambitions, the country is seemingly caught between removing the nuclear power in Pyongyang without collapsing the Kim Jong Un regime.
"I have great respect for the president of China. As you know, we had a great summit in Florida," said Trump following his meeting with President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping.
Since their Mar-a-Lago meeting earlier this month, President Trump has had nothing but praise for Jinping. Though, the relationship seems predicated on a give-and-take.
"I actually told him, I said, 'You'll make a much better deal on trade if you get rid of this menace or do something about the menace of North Korea.' Because that's what it is, it's a menace right now," Trump recalled.
Satellite images show North Korea is prepping for a sixth nuclear test and they continue to test and parade ballistic missiles. Their aim, at least in their bombastic propaganda films, is to destroy the United States.
Trump has called on China to fix the problem.
Recently, they have taken a tougher stand by tightly enforcing sanctions and halting coal imports, a major source of income for North Korea.
Experts, however, say China doesn't have the sway they used to in Pyongyang.
Kim Jong Un has ignored China's demands to stop their nuclear program for years. Kim also knows that China will resist drastic steps, like cutting off all trade, because it could collapse his dictatorship and cause a flood of refugees into China. That would, in turn, only strengthen America's hand in the region.