John Bolton, former national security adviser on North Korea and China


Former National Security Adviser John Bolton told CNBC on Wednesday that North Korea is now more vulnerable because of the progress it has made on its nuclear capabilities in recent years.

At a military parade on Saturday, North Korea unveiled its new weapons, including a giant intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could be lethal – let alone several military vehicles or large payrolls, Reuters quoted military analysts as saying.

“The fact that we wasted a lot of time with Trump’s failed diplomacy with North Korea,” Bolton told CNBC’s “Squawk AsiaX Asia.

Referring to the North Korean leader, he said, “Rogue states need time to complete their nuclear capabilities, their ballistic missile capabilities. That’s what Kim Jong Un was doing. “

A man watches a television program at the Seoul railway station in South Korea, which shows a military parade in North Korea, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling party on October 10, 2020.

Chung Sang-jun | Getty Images

Since becoming president, Trump has held two nuclear summits with Kim in Singapore and Vietnam – but none of them have yielded results. Trump tried to force Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and the United Nations as well as the U.S. Confused the possibility of providing economic incentives to a country struggling under the weight of disability international sanctions.

The sanctions are aimed at cutting money for North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program. Experts have previously said that Kim wants to ease sanctions without losing the strategic benefits of his weapons of mass destruction.

“So, I think it’s more dangerous now because of the progress North Korea has made.”

He added that in the program If Democratic presidential candidate Biden wins the November election, handling North Korea will be “a tough game for the Biden administration.”

Hardening public opinion against China

Bolt also weighed in on the growing tensions between China and Taiwan and the U.S. view of Beijing.

“China is a very big question, a very existential question for the United States,” Bolton said.

Taipei and Washington have maintained close ties with Washington, and Beijing has been protesting. China considers Taiwan as part of its territory that should one day reunite with the mainland and therefore should not have the right to engage in international diplomacy. When the U.S. With no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it is the island’s most powerful international supporter and its largest arms supplier.

Bolton said, “I think on Taiwan, what China really wants is for Taiwan to come into its fold like ripe fruit.” “They don’t want war, they don’t want to destroy the island. But on the other hand, they definitely want it back. They don’t want to go back to Taiwan.”

I wouldn’t count on Obama to return to what he was like when he left office.

John Bolton

Former U.S. National Security Adviser

If Biden wins the election, he will make a tough call for his administration, according to Bolton. Under the Trump administration, U.S. And the relationship between China deteriorated significantly – First because of the trade war, then the war for technological dominance. On top of that, Trump has repeatedly blamed China for the coronavirus epidemic, which has so far plagued the U.S. At least 215,000 people have been killed.

“People’s opinion in the United States is getting tougher against China,” Bolton said. As well as other countries have a negative view of the world’s second largest economy.

While former President Barack Obama’s administration was “very appropriate” for China, there is no guarantee that if Baden wins the election, it will lead to a change in public opinion.

He added: “I do not consider it necessary to comment on such fabrications.”

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