Beijing shows no sign of caving to U.S. pressure to tighten the screws on Pyonyang

U.S. President Donald Trump’s hopes for China’s help with restraining North Korea appear to have gone nowhere, with the two sides growing further apart as their approaches and concerns diverge.

China shows no sign of caving to U.S. pressure to tighten the screws on North Korea, while the North’s recent missile tests have done little to rattle Beijing, in contrast to the anxiety sparked in Washington.

China’s bottom line continues to hold fast — No to any measures that might topple Kim Jong-un’s regime.

False hopes

Mr. Trump seemed to think he had found a partner on North Korea in Chinese President Xi Jinping following their April summit in Florida. Yet, North Korea continued to test missiles and China continued to keep open, and even expand, economic channels with the North.

By this week, the bloom was well and truly off the rose. “Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!” Mr. Trump tweeted on Tuesday, as if still holding out for a Hail Mary from Beijing.

The next day, he seemed requited to the facts — “Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40 percent in the first quarter. So much for China working with us but we had to give it a try.”

Where persuasion hasn’t worked, Mr. Trump’s administration has turned to threats. Washington’s UN Ambassador Nikki Haley warned on Wednesday that China’s trade with the U.S. could suffer if it didn’t help following North Korea’s successful launch of its first intercontinental ballistic missile. The U.S. has already blacklisted one Chinese bank accused of illicit dealings with North Korea and is penalizing a Chinese shipping company and two Chinese individuals accused of facilitating illegal activities by the North.