"I am very disappointed in China," President Trump wrote on Twitter. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo Trump slams China: 'They do NOTHING for us with North Korea'

President Donald Trump on Saturday slammed China for failing to restrain North Korea, which in recent days has expanded the reach of its nuclear arsenal, despite past administrations striking what he described as trade deals favorable to China.

"I am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!" Trump wrote in a series of tweets.


During the presidential campaign, Trump lambasted China and said its leaders were ripping off American workers. But after his electoral victory last November, he seemingly sought to build a relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, at one point hosting Xi and his wife for a diplomatic visit at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trump said then that China could use its influence over North Korea to persuade the country to tamp down its nuclear ambitions.

Despite those efforts, North Korea has continued its nuclear experimentation, conducting another missile test as recently as Friday night.

Trump condemned those tests Friday night, saying North Korea's ambitions continue to hinder its economy and hurts its citizens.

"Threatening the world, these weapons and tests further isolate North Korea, weaken its economy, and deprive its people," Trump said in a written statement. "The United States will take all necessary steps to ensure the security of the American homeland and protect our allies in the region."