Washington(CNN) President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday that the US will "solve the North Korea problem" alone if China refuses to help.
"North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A," he tweeted.
"I explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the US will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem," Trump also tweeted.
North Korea issued a forceful response to the deployment of a US naval strike group to the region, saying it would counter "reckless acts of aggression" with "whatever methods the US wants to take."
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"We will make the US fully accountable for the catastrophic consequences that may be brought about by its high-handed and outrageous acts," a statement provided to CNN by officials in North Korea said.
The Pentagon sent the 97,000-ton USS Carl Vinson with an escort of a guided-missile cruiser and two destroyers after the latest missile test by North Korea last week.
Trump has regularly called on China to be more aggressive in its response to North Korea. But US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday that China understands how dangerous North Korea's nuclear program has become and agrees action must be taken to stop it.
"I think even China is beginning to recognize that this presents a threat to even China's interests," Tillerson said during an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday.
"President Xi clearly understands, and I think agrees, that the situation has intensified and has reached a certain level of threat that action has to be taken," he added.
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