Trump accuses China of hampering US-North Korea relations, Beijing hits back

US suspects China playing a counter-productive role vis-a-vis North Korea - a charge Beijing has vehemently denied.

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A day after Dondla Trump accused China of making it difficult for US-North Korea relations to soften, Beijing hit back hard and claimed the statement as 'irresponsible and an absurd logic.'

US President Trump has pointed the accusatory finger at China while speaking on US-North Korea relations on Wednesday.  "China makes it much more difficult in terms of our relationship with North Korea. Part of the North Korea problem is caused by the trade disputes with China," he had said. Trump had also tweeted a statement of his in which he said that North Korea is under tremendous pressure from China. 

...differences, they will be resolved in time by President Trump and China’s great President Xi Jinping. Their relationship and bond remain very strong.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2018

It is a statement that irked Chinese officials at a time when US-China relations are peppered with suspicion as is. "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," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a press briefing on Thursday. "This logic is not easily understood."

While Trump has maintained that military exercises with South Korea will remain suspended - a decision that was first taken after a historic summit with Kim Jon Un on June 12 in Singapore, many recognise that any efforts to establish normalcy is not possible unless Beijing plays a constructive role. China maintains that it plays a constructive role and that the US needs to take a cue from the country. "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 said.

The entire premise of the relations between North Korea with the US hinges on the de-nuclearisation process but with China being the sole but solid trade partner of Pyongyang, the threat of bringing back economic sanctions could appear rather toothless, if considered at all.