China may play a major role in ending the North Korean nuclear crisis as it could boost sanctions with Pyongyang, beginning with Beijing-led negotiations on energy supplies, according to The Australian.
The U.S. has already signaled its response, with a missile attack on a Syrian airfield, and its negative attitude toward China shifted as Beijing signified its intention to provide a solution to the North Korean crisis.
Despite U.N. sanctions and numerous on-off negotiations, the conflict between North Korea and its neighbors continues to worsen, that it almost reached the brink of a catastrophe last week.
Trump's hard stance toward China on trade suddenly eased up, as the U.S. president realized that it would be difficult for Chinese President Xi Jinping to change its political decision on North Korea.
Meanwhile, the U.S. increased its pressure on North Korea by deploying a huge naval strike force into the South Korean waters to beef up its 28,000-strong troops based in South Korea.
Fortunately, Kim Jong-un did not push through with plans to blow up its sixth nuclear device and its missile launch flopped during the weekend. Otherwise, it would have triggered a U.S. strike and North Korea would have retaliated by attacking Seoul, a city of 10 million people, which is within its artillery range.
According to the report, Kim will do everything to keep himself in power, and even with negotiations, he will not give up his nuclear arsenal. However, he could be persuaded if its survival supplies, such as oil, will be cut off.
President Xi wants to consolidate control of China and believes that if Kim would not be controlled, he would disrupt Beijing's plans.
The Xinhua News Agency reported that after a military parade in Pyongyang on Saturday, April 15, China urged both the U.S. and North Korea to sit and strike a "grand bargain."
Observers, however, believe that the negotiations with North Korea can only be done by China, not the U.S., whose only alternative left on the table would be a military strike.