In a series of tweets sent out on Wednesday, the US president said that North Korea is under pressure from China.

US President Donald Trump has blamed China for the lack of progress during the negotiations about denuclearisation between the US and North Korea.

In the tweets, sent out on Thursday, Trump said China was putting pressure on North Korea to stall the developments in the talks, adding that his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was “very good and warm”.

“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,” the first of four tweets on the subjects read.

STATEMENT FROM THE WHITE HOUSE 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. At the same time, we also know that China is providing North Korea with… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2018

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Trump continued by claiming China is providing North Korea with aid, money, fuel and fertiliser, adding that providing those goods was “not helpful”.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called Trump’s remarks on the North Korea issue “irresponsible” and “hard to understand” in a press briefing.

War games

Trump also said the US was not continuing war games with South Korea, but that he “can instantly start the joint exercises again with South Korea, and Japan, if he so chooses”, and that “if he does, they will be far bigger than ever before.”

That statement goes directly against US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who earlier on Wednesday said the US was continuing its military exercises with South Korea.

This came after a June meeting with the North Korean leader, where the Trump administration decided to stall joint military exercises with South Korea as a “goodwill gesture”.

The gesture was not enough for North Korea to agree to unilaterally give up its weapons.

North Korea has been under sanctions since 2006, when the country carried out its first nuclear test.

In November 2017, the country said it had successfully developed a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching US mainland.

Following that announcement, more sanctions were imposed by the UN in December.