Trump's recent schedule has been extremely tight. He first met with the South Korean Prime Minister at the White House, then was set to meet with Asahi Yana, followed by a grand visit to China. After his visit to China, there is another major event, but Kim Jong-un doesn't seem to be buying it.

Kim Min-sik meets with Trump

Recently, South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-sik, who met with Trump at the White House, revealed that Trump showed great interest in meeting with Kim Jong-un. Kim Min-sik, in front of Trump, relayed a sentence from Lee Jae-myung, praising him as "the only" Western leader who could resolve the peninsula issue. It is said that after hearing this, Trump was very satisfied and immediately took out a photo of himself with Kim Jong-un.

Moreover, Trump also told Kim Min-sik that he could meet with Kim Jong-un during or after his visit to China. Obviously, South Korea wants to act as an intermediary in US-DPRK relations. If the "Trump-Kim" summit were to happen again, it would be a great achievement for Lee Jae-myung. However, Trump expressing the idea of meeting with Kim Jong-un at the critical moment of his visit to China clearly isn't for convenience.

As is well known, North Korea, as a neighbor of China and a barrier in Northeast China, has always been a target of America's strategy. Trump's move is obviously a way to pressure China and gain more negotiation leverage for his visit to China. Additionally, the U.S. is bogged down in the Middle East, with no response from its escort alliance, and domestic oil prices are hard to control. He urgently needs a "diplomatic victory" to divert attention.

Trump and Kim Jong-un

If Trump can meet with Kim Jong-un again, even just shaking hands, it would be a topic of media discussion for a while. More importantly, at the recent 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Jong-un made a rare friendly signal towards the United States, stating that if the U.S. lifts the blockade on North Korea, he is willing to resume friendly relations with the U.S.

Through the South Korean Prime Minister, Trump also wanted to see what attitude Pyongyang had. Unfortunately, the response from North Korea came too fast and too strong. Just 24 hours later, North Korea launched more than 10 ballistic missiles facing the Sea of Japan, which is quite rare in North Korea's recent actions.

Kim Jong-un observes missile launch

Additionally, according to data from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missile flight distance was about 350 kilometers, with a height of about 80 kilometers. These missiles are likely to be the 600-millimeter large-scale rocket artillery independently developed by North Korea, with a range of about 400 kilometers, capable of covering the entire South Korea. Kim Jong-un confirmed through the KCNA that this launch was a "training exercise," which he personally observed.

Analysis suggests that this launch sent at least three signals. On one hand, it targeted the ongoing U.S.-South Korea "Freedom Shield" joint military exercises. On the other hand, it was a cold response to Trump. More importantly, it demonstrated solidarity with Iran. Trump may not have peace in the East Asia either.

Kim Min-sik and Lee Jae-myung

Trump is really embarrassed this time. The day before, he was showing photos with the South Korean Prime Minister at the White House, saying "I have a good relationship with Kim Jong-un." The next day, North Korea's missiles flew into the sky. However, the South Korean Unification Minister, Jung Dong-young, came out the next day to make amends, urging North Korea "not to miss the dialogue opportunity that Trump has released." But North Korea may not listen to these words.

At the current time when the U.S.-Iran conflict continues and the international situation is unstable, Kim Jong-un does not have an urgent motivation to respond to the U.S. dialogue proposal. If Trump wants to meet Kim Jong-un again, he might have to wait until the situation in the Middle East calms down. As for Trump trying to provoke Sino-North Korean relations, this has been going on for days.

But China has its own position, and North Korea has its own views; they won't easily follow the U.S. around. In the Middle East, where chaos has erupted, Trump should not meddle in East Asian affairs, to avoid bringing more trouble to himself.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7617735771264680463/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.