WASHINGTON �� President Donald Trump said the U.S. can "totally" address North Korea's nuclear threat unilaterally if China doesn't cooperate to put pressure on that nation.
"If China is not going to solve North Korea, we will. That is all I am telling you," Trump said in an interview with the Financial Times published Sunday. When pressed about whether he could do it one-on-one without China's help, the president said, "I don't have to say any more. Totally."
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet Thursday and Friday at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump said he'll discuss North Korea.
"China has great influence over North Korea," Trump said in the interview. "And China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they won't." Cooperation with the U.S. "will be very good for China," he said. If they don't cooperate, "it won't be good for anyone."
North Korea has been developing and testing its ballistic missile technology, and South Korean intelligence has warned that North Korea could conduct its sixth nuclear bomb test this week to "overshadow" the summit.
Trump declined to say how he'd pursue the subject, or whether he would begin the talks with the Chinese president by bringing up North Korea and then moving on to trade with China.
Trump also indicated that he would postpone a discussion with the Chinese president on tariffs until "perhaps the next time we meet." Still, Trump offered this criticism: "When you talk about currency manipulation, when you talk about devaluations, they are world champions."
Trump said during the presidential campaign to have China labeled a currency manipulator on his first day in office, which didn't happen.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has signaled no urgency to act, saying he wants to use a regular review of foreign-exchange markets to determine whether the U.S.'s largest trading partner is cheating.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross declined to address Trump's campaign pledge during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, saying the determination lies with the Treasury Department.
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(Dan Hart contributed to this report.)
