Trump's empty trade threats weaken U.S. hand over North Korea

[riversedge]

Trump's empty trade threats weaken U.S. hand over North Korea


by Jethro Mullen @CNNMoney September 4, 2017: 7:42 AM ET
Trump vs. China: Tensions over trade
President Trump risks doing more harm than good with his latest rhetoric over North Korea.



After Kim Jong Un's regime carried out its biggest nuclear test so far on Sunday, Trump fired off a series of tweets, including a warning that he's considering "stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea."

The extraordinary remark was clearly aimed at China, which accounts for roughly 90% of North Korea's international trade.

Experts were quick to point out that halting commerce between America and China is virtually impossible.

"This isn't even in the realm of the remotely plausible," said Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who specializes in trade. "Even assuming trade with these countries could be cut off it would cause enormous damage to the U.S. economy."

Related: Trump's 'fire and fury' rhetoric met with defiance by Kim Jong Un

By issuing a warning that his administration couldn't enforce, Trump undermines the credibility of U.S. government statements on North Korea and other delicate issues, analysts say.

"First rule of diplomacy is never make a threat you can't carry out," tweeted Mark Fitzpatrick, executive director for the Americas at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

A $650 billion relationship .....................

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