CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA: “President Donald Trump is facing calls for a show of strength toward North Korea after Pyongyang’s weekend launch of a ballistic missile, posing the first major challenge to his administration by a foreign leader and an awkward balancing act with China.
U.S. lawmakers called for military exercises with regional allies, a rapid deployment of regional missile defenses and tough new sanctions. A senior administration official said the White House is unlikely to use authority it has to go after Chinese companies that do business with North Korea’s weapons sector.
The launch was a potent and troubling reminder of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons ambitions as well as the limits of U.S. options. It came days after what White House officials consider a promising conversation between Mr. Trump and President Xi Jinping of China, which could prove a crucial partner in dealing with the threat from North Korea, among other issues.”
– Peter Nicholas, Carol E. Lee, and Johnathan Cheng, “Trump Faces Test Over North Korea Missile,” The Wall Street Journal online, Feb. 12, 2017