He even heaped praise on the Chinese president.
“I appreciate the things that you have done relative to the very substantial problem that we all face in North Korea, a problem that something has to be done about,” Mr. Trump said told his Chinese counterpart.
The two leaders sat across from each other at an expanded bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.
In the run-up to the summit, Mr. Trump expressed dissatisfaction with China after nuclear-armed and volatile North Korea successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that was capable of reaching Alaska.
China is the chief sponsor of North Korea and for decades has resisted the world’s calls to help curb the rogue regime’s nuclear and missile programs.
Mr. Trump tweeted his plan for China to pressure North Korea and “not worked out.” The Treasury also slapped new sanctions on Chinese financial institutions accused of aiding North Korea.
At the bilateral meeting, however, Mr. Trump said the two countries were on the same page.
He said that North Korea was a substantial problem that “something has to be done about.”
“It may take longer than I’d like, it may take longer that you’d like,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Xi, “but there will be success in the end one way or the other.”
Mr. Trump has been building alliances to confront North Korea throughout his trip to Europe, including meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Mr. Trump also told Mr. Xi that it was an “honor to have gotten to know you,” and adding that they had “developed a wonderful relationship.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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