US President Donald Trump has denounced China's trade with North Korea and cast doubt on whether Beijing is working with Washington to counter the North Korean nuclear threat.
"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40 pct in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!" Trump said in a Twitter post on Wednesday shortly before taking off for a G20 summit in Germany.
In an earlier tweet, Trump said: "The United States made some of the worst Trade Deals in world history. Why should we continue these deals with countries that do not help us?"
During the G20 summit, Trump will meet for the second time with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he has expressed frustration for failing to use enough leverage to curb North Korea's nuclear program.
China is North Korea's largest trading partner and ally.
Data released in April by Beijing showed China's trade with North Korea grew 37.4 per cent in the first quarter this year from the same period in 2016, according to reports in the New York Times and Financial Times. Chinese exports surged 54.5 per cent and imports increased 18.4 per cent, according to the General Administration of Customs.
