Trump Offers Incentive to Get China to Act on North Korea

Forget a "ruthless blow." North Korea says the US will face "catastrophic consequences," including possible war, if it continues to provoke the country, reports the Guardian. The message from a foreign ministry spokesman comes days after the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, a missile carrier, and two destroyers were sent to waters off the Korean peninsula "as a prudent measure to maintain readiness and presence in the Western Pacific," according to Adm. Harry Harris. The North Korean rep, however, says the decision to alter the course of the ships, which were headed to Australia, shows that "reckless moves for invading" have "reached a serious phase," per USA Today. In a series of tweets on Tuesday, President Trump didn't seem perturbed.

"North Korea is looking for trouble," he wrote. "I explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the US will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem," he continued. "If not, we will solve the problem without them!" The New York Times explains the president's trouble: Only China has a realistic chance of getting North Korea to change course, but President Xi Jinping did not offer Trump any commitments about making that happen, either in public or private, during their meeting last week. Trump's tweets, however, suggest that he would rather strike a deal with China than act unilaterally against Pyongyang. (More North Korea stories.)