U.S. President Donald Trump said that China might be attempting to obstruct efforts to denuclearize North Korea but added that he remains confident Kim Jong Un will live up to commitments he made at a meeting last month.
"I have confidence that Kim Jong Un will honor the contract we signed &, even more importantly, our handshake. We agreed to the denuclearization of North Korea," Trump said in a tweet. "China, on the other hand, may be exerting negative pressure on a deal because of our posture on Chinese Trade-Hope Not!"
Trump's comments followed high-level talks between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean officials, Reuters noted. The talks were characterized as positive by Pompeo, but Pyongyang accused the U.S. of "gangster-like" diplomacy.
Trump has previously praised China's efforts to bring North Korea to the negotiating table, but also criticized Beijing's record on sanctions.
Last week, Trump imposed tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods, a move that drew quick retaliation.