David Jackson

USA TODAY

Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified the relationship between North Korea founder Kim Il-Sung and the country's current leader; he is the grandfather of Kim Jong-Un.

WASHINGTON — Amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, President Trump said Wednesday he told Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that he could get better trade terms from the United States if China helps rein in the nuclear threats from North Korea.

"I said, the way you're going to make a good trade deal is to help us with North Korea — otherwise, we're just going to go it alone," Trump said during a joint news conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

The president also said that "going it alone means going it with lots of other nations," though he did not elaborate on what what that meant.

Speaking a day after a phone call with Xi and a week after a summit with the Chinese leader — and with a U.S. carrier task force now positioned near North Korea — Trump told reporters that "I was very impressed with President Xi. And I think he means well, and I think he wants to help. We'll see whether or not he does."

Trump conducted the news conference shortly after telling The Wall Street Journal he has reversed a campaign pledge and decided not to declare China a currency manipulator. He did not say whether currency move is linked to Chinese help with restraining and containing the nuclear missile program being developed by Kim Jong-Un's government in North Korea.

The new position on China drew scorn from critics who accused him of retreating from his promise to improve the U.S. trade posture with global competitors.

"When the President fails to label them a currency manipulator, he gives them a green light to steal our jobs and wealth time and time again," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate minority leader.

He added: "The best way to get China to cooperate with North Korea, is to be tough on them with trade, which is the number one thing China’s government cares about.”

In announcing the phone conversation with Trump, China state broadcaster CCTV said Xi told the U.S. president that China "is committed to the target of de-nuclearization on the peninsula, safeguarding peace and stability on the peninsula, and advocates resolving problems through peaceful means."

Trump tweeted he "had a very good call last night with the President of China concerning the menace of North Korea."

The call occurred hours after Trump tweeted that "North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them!"

In another Twitter post, Trump said he has told Xi that "a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem!"

Trump and Xi met last week at the U.S. president's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla.

Trump's dispatching of the carrier group to the region prompted more threats from the North Koreans, who threatened "any mode of war" the United States might want.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters that Trump initiated the phone call, and "we hope that the relevant parties do not adopt irresponsible actions. Under the current circumstances, this is very dangerous."

Officials in the United States and China are concerned that North Korea may be preparing another missile test in conjunction with Saturday's 105th birthday anniversary of the nation's founder Kim Il-Sung, grandfather of the current leader.

In an interview with Fox Business Network, Trump said that "we are sending an armada" to monitor events on the Korean Peninsula.

"Very powerful," Trump said. "We have submarines. Very powerful. Far more powerful than the aircraft carrier."