I wonder how much this has to do with China saying to the Norks “you crap up our country with radioactivity and we will stick a warhead up your azz beside the one you keep there daily anyway” ?
I don’t have a problem with the Chinese people, but their government is a rogue government. It is intent on grabbing as much of the region as the rest of the world will allow it to.
It plans on becoming a global player to counter the very nation that made it rich.
I am not convinced China cares much about Kim’s activity. Have they finally figured out that their capital is closer to North Korea than ours is? I don’t know. Do they really care what he does? I don’t know.
IMO < it’s 50/50 if they care or not. It’s 50/50 if they are helping us for some reason.
I suspect that China realizes that if we cut off trade with it, it’s financials would reach zero in about two weeks.
I get the impression they are stretched to the absolute limit, and could not sustain their over-reach if we pulled out.
We on the other hand could manufacture here or somewhere else.
I don’t think replacing us as buyers would be very easy. If it were, they would have already done it.