China slams ‘absurd logic’ from US after Trump accuses Beijing of blocking North Korea denuclearisation
Strong response comes after Trump says Beijing is putting North Korea ‘under tremendous pressure’, causing lack of progress in negotiations
China on Thursday derided the “irresponsible and absurd logic” of the United States after President Donald Trump accused Beijing of making Washington’s relationship with North Korea more difficult.
Trump had earlier threatened a resumption in war games around the Korean Peninsula “far bigger than ever before” and blamed Beijing again for a lack of progress in getting Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme.
“A lot of people, like me, feel that the US is first in the world when it comes to twisting the truth, and irresponsible and absurd logic,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing. “This logic is not easily understood by all.”
In a series of tweets, Trump had projected mixed messages on his administration’s relations with China and negotiations with North Korea, simultaneously expressing respect for the two countries’ leaders, but warning them to fall in line with Washington’s objectives.
“President Donald J. Trump feels strongly that North Korea is under tremendous pressure from China because of our major trade disputes with the Chinese Government,” Trump said on Twitter.
“We also know that China is providing North Korea with considerable aid, including money, fuel, fertiliser and various other commodities. This is not helpful!”
Within the same four tweets, Trump said Washington’s trade war with Beijing “will be resolved in time by President Trump and China’s great President Xi Jinping” and that “the President believes that his relationship with [North Korean leader] Kim Jong-un is a very good and warm one”.
“We hope the US can play a positive and constructive role in settling the issue just like the Chinese. To solve the problem, it should look at itself instead of shifting blame,” Hua added.