Beijing has denied accusations that it has tried to undermine denuclearisation talks between the US and North Korea, saying the issue was separate from an escalating trade war with Washington.
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo’s visit to Pyongyang last weekend revealed the distance between the Trump administration, which is demanding a rapid and complete denuclearisation, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who appears to be negotiating for diplomatic and economic concessions to offset potential reductions in nuclear capability.
Speaking on Fox News, US senator Lindsey Graham claimed that China had intervened to sour the talks. “I see China’s hands all over this,” he said.