Trump just can't seem to make his mind up about China
Trump can't seem to work out his feelings towards China.
The U.S. president attacked China on social media, just a day after North Korea tested out a ballistic missile that it claims can reach as far as the U.S.
SEE ALSO: Trump started a Twitter war with China, and it worked: China's mad
"I am very disappointed in China...they do NOTHING for us with North Korea," he posted in a series of tweets on Saturday.
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...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017
...they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017
Just a month ago however, Trump had posted tweets to a different tune, saying he "greatly appreciated" China's efforts to help out with North Korea.
While I greatly appreciate the efforts of President Xi & China to help with North Korea, it has not worked out. At least I know China tried!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 20, 2017
Trump's latest tweets also come in direct contrast to the statements he made in April, where he said that he realised it was "not so easy" for China to negotiate with North Korea.
"After listening [to Mr Xi explaining the history of China and Korea] I realised it's not so easy," Trump told the Wall Street Journal during President Xi's visit to his Mar-a-Lago estate.
"I felt pretty strongly that [China] had a tremendous power over North Korea. But it's not what you would think."
But if you look back just a little over a year ago, Trump was pretty disdainful towards China.
In March 2016, he accused China of doing "little to help," and "playing the U.S. for years."
North Korea is behaving very badly. They have been "playing" the United States for years. China has done little to help!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2017
Later in December 2016, he came out, guns blazing, criticising China's monetary policy.
Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2016
their country (the U.S. doesn't tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don't think so!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2016
Those tweets were widely cited in Chinese media, and the White House had to reassure the Chinese government that the U.S. did not mean to undermine China.
Experts: Don't look to China
According to some experts, Trump is going to remain disappointed if he continues to count on China to mediate for peace with North Korea.
Ben Rhodes, a foreign policy adviser under Barack Obama, took to Twitter to express his views, replying to Trump's tweet:
It is not at all true that China can easily solve this problem and this is a very dangerous and destabilizing approach. https://t.co/xmV3HaO9Pj
— Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) July 30, 2017
Another analyst also agrees with Rhodes.
"Don't look for the Chinese to help us on North Korea," Harry Kazianis, director of defence studies at the Centre for the National Interest, a DC think-tank, told CNBC.
"If you look at it from the Chinese eyes, they are probably actually more scared of North Korea than we are."
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