Donald Trump’s rocket for North Korea ahead of G20 summit

The President escalates tensions over North Korea, telling the world to ‘confront’ it for its ‘very, very bad behaviour’.

US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive in Hamburg for the G20 summit. Picture: AP

Donald Trump has escalated international tensions over the North Korean missile crisis, calling on the world to “confront’’ the pariah state for its “very, very bad behaviour’’ in inflammatory comments that also criticised Russia ahead of a meeting of world leaders in Germany.

Malcolm Turnbull flew into Hamburg last night for the G20 meeting facing growing tensions between the US and China over North Korea and between the US and Russia over Syria.

The Turnbull government was also forced into damage control yesterday after Acting Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce expressed sympathy for US calls for trade sanctions on China for failing to crack down on North Korea.

Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner arrive in Hamburg. Picture: AP

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann distanced the government from any suggestion of trade sanctions against China and Mr Joyce was forced to clarify that the Australian government was not considering sanctions against the Chinese state.

The US President, visiting ­Poland before the G20, launched a direct attack on global terrorism and the North Korean regime, calling for a confrontation with the enemies of the West.

Mr Trump warned North Korea that he was considering “some pretty severe things”.

Standing next to Polish President Andrzej Duda, Mr Trump said: “It is a critical time, frankly, for the world. Not only must we ­secure our nations from the threat of terrorism but we must also confront the threat from North Korea — that is what it is, it is a threat and we will confront it very strongly.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire and son Hadrien land in Hamburg.

“President Duda and I call on all nations to confront this global threat and publicly demonstrate to North Korea there are consequences for their very, very bad ­behaviour.”

Although Mr Trump said he was not certain he would follow through on the severe steps he was weighing and did “not draw red lines’’, he said North Korea was “behaving in a very, very dangerous manner, and something will have to be done about it”.

He intensified his rhetoric in a speech delivered in Warsaw several hours later.

“The defence of the West ­ultimately rests not only on means but also on the will of its people to prevail,’’ Mr Trump said.

“The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive.’’

The speech painted a picture of the West facing existential challenges to “defend our civilisation” from terrorism, bureaucracy and the erosion of traditions.

Mr Turnbull told reporters in Hamburg that North Korea’s “reckless and provocative” action had been condemned by all G20 members.

“We will see a strong commitment ... to strengthen the sanctions that have already been applied to the North Korean regime,” he said.

Asked about the US taking military action, Mr Turnbull declined to speculate but reiterated Australian action would be done under the UN, as well as autonomous sanctions targeting North Korean individuals and businesses. He also urged China to do more to “bring economic pressure in particular to bear”.

Just hours after his ambassador to the UN threatened China with potential trade sanctions, Mr Trump criticised Russia on the eve of his meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

He said America was working with its allies to counter “Russia’s actions and destabilising behaviour” and also said he agreed that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election. However, he added, other countries might also have interfered.

The escalation of tensions between Australia’s closest strategic ally, the US, and biggest trading partner, China, heighten the diplomatic difficulties for the Prime Minister at the G20.

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley had earlier strongly hinted at punitive trade measures against China over North Korea and warned it would take military action against the rogue regime if necessary.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrive in Hamburg.

Mrs Haley told an emergency session of the UN Security Council that the time for a diplomatic solution to North Korea’s aggression was fast running out.

“One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military ­forces,” Mrs Haley said. “We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction. (But) their actions are quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution.”

The intercontinental ballistic missile launched by North Korea this week is considered capable of reaching northern Australia cities such as Darwin and Cairns and the US state of Alaska.

Mrs Haley made a thinly veiled threat to China that the US would reappraise its trade relationship with countries that had an economic relationship with North Korea. Noting that 90 per cent of North Korea’s trade came from China she said: “There are countries that are allowing — even ­encouraging — trade with North Korea in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

“Such countries would also like to continue their trade arrangements with the United States. That’s not going to happen. Our attitude on trade changes when countries do not take international security threats seriously.”

Before flying to Poland, Mr Trump tweeted that China-North Korean trade had jumped 40 per cent in the first quarter of this year. “So much for China working with us — but we had to give it a try,” he said.

Mr Trump also tweeted, in an apparent reference to China, “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?”

Argentine President Mauricio Macri and his wife Juliana Adawa.

Mr Trump had tried to persuade Chinese President Xi Jinping to take tougher economic measures against North Korea, but Beijing appears unable or unwilling to curb the behaviour of the Kim regime. China yesterday warned against “words and deeds” that could heighten tensions over North Korea.

Mr Joyce, asked yesterday if Australia would support trade sanctions against China over support for North Korea, said he had “sympathy” with the prospect. “If people want to aid and abet a rogue leader then obviously we can’t be supporting them,” he told the ABC.

He was then questioned about the huge consequences for Australia of supporting trade sanctions against China.

“The effect of trade sanctions would pale in significance against what would happen if North Korea continues down this path,” Mr Joyce said.

Only later in an interview on Sky News did he say Australia should act against organisations, not the Chinese state.

Ms Bishop said Australia had “no plans” to impose sanctions on China, while Senator Cormann said Mr Joyce was talking about companies and organisations already the subject of sanctions. The Finance Minister said such sanctions were already in place.

Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong described Mr Joyce’s comments as ­“irresponsible”.