N. Korea is the backdrop for Trump-Xi meetings

When President Donald J. Trump meets today and Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, this question will loom large: What did Trump mean when he said the U.S. is ready to deal with North Korea on its own if China fails to rein in the unstable nuclear power?

Given the president’s penchant for saber rattling when it comes to America’s enemies, his comments about North Korea did not get the level of attention they deserve. However, there’s no doubt about the intentions of the mercurial – some would say madcap – leader of the economically devastated nation, Kim Jong Un.

On Wednesday, in an obvious poke at Trump, the regime fired a ballistic missiles into waters off the country’s east coast. It was an act of provocation repeated many times before – including three previous launches this year.

The danger with Trump threatening unilateral action is that the mentally questionable Kim could launch a pre-emptive military strike against South Korea or even Japan.

That’s why the involvement of the Chinese government in any effort to persuade North Korea to get rid of its nuclear weapons is so crucial.

Indeed, while he was rattling his saber during an interview last week with the Financial Times of Britain, Trump did concede that China has the most influence over North Korea economically and politically.

The president also said that going it alone is not his Plan A.

So, why even raise the prospect of unilateral action by the United States? It could well be that Trump was sending a message to Beijing that he wants a firm commitment from President Xi that North Korea’s nuclear ambitions would be brought to a screeching halt.

Mar-a-Lago estate

The meetings today and Friday between the two leaders will take place at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

While it would seem that Beijing has the upper hand in its dealings with Pyongyang, there are major hazards in threatening to cut off the lifeline.

China accounts for about 90 percent of North Korea’s trade and is a key supplier of fuel and many other necessities that keep the country’s economy running.

Without this help, it would implode economically – and socially. The population is already on life support, given that most of the nation’s revenue is spent on the military and development of nuclear weapons.

There would be a mass exodus to neighboring China, triggering a refugee crisis of massive proportions. The Chinese government is not willing to deal with the hundreds of thousands of people who will need help.

The economic collapse would also cause President Kim to take revenge on America’s two allies in the Far East: South Korea and Japan.

Last year, the Pyonyang regime launched a three-stage rocket that has the potential of serving as an intercontinental missile. That action in February 2016 came one month after the regime conducted a fourth nuclear test.

North Korea, with its nuclear arsenal, has shown little regard for the international community’s response and has thumbed its nose at the economic sanctions imposed by the United Nations.

Kim’s brutal, dictatorial rule has silenced any dissent, while the disappearance of his political enemies and critics is now taken for granted.

Trump is right in saying that Beijing must use its influence to persuade Pyongyang to get rid of its nuclear weapons, end its militaristic ambitions in the Korean peninsula and agree to remove the shackles that have left millions of North Koreans in dire economic straits.

Missile defense systems

But while the American and Chinese presidents try to find a solution to the North Korean problem, the U.S. should continue to work with South Korea and Japan on missile defense systems to counter the threat from Kim.

Last year, the administration of former President Barack Obama proposed deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system near the border with North Korea. THAAD missiles are said to be highly deployable.

“North Korea continues to develop their nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and it is the responsibility of our alliance to maintain a strong defense against those threats,” said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook.

The deployment of such a system is one way America can go it alone against North Korea.