BEIJING — President Trump’s decision on Thursday to cancel his planned summit meeting with Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, will disappoint some allies in Asia, hearten others — and perhaps put China in the strongest position of all.

Mr. Trump’s announcement put the brakes on disarmament negotiations that had been hurtling ahead at an unprecedented pace. Instead of a meeting with Mr. Kim, Mr. Trump vowed that “our very strong sanctions, by far the strongest in history, and maximum pressure campaign will continue.”

But applying that pressure depends in large part on cooperation from China, which may now be able to use any delays in negotiations with North Korea to its advantage in trade talks with the United States.

Much will depend, of course, on how North Korea reacts to Mr. Trump’s decision to pull out of the talks. After a year of breakthrough missile launches and a sixth nuclear test, Mr. Kim abruptly put his nation on a path toward peace — suspending weapons tests, releasing American prisoners and, just hours before Mr. Trump’s announcement, destroying its nuclear test site.