Years ago, direct updates from the President of the United States to the citizens of America came in the form of press briefings given by Former President Barack Obama, and even the evening fireside radio chats given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The era of direct communication from the President to US citizens proved that the United States could, and would be, united. But after the current US President Donald J. Trump's recent twitter remark on China's passivity toward North Korea is raising dangerous tension between the world powers.

These days, direct communication from the US President has drastically changed in the form of successive Twitter remarks. While press conferences can take time, Trump has achieved sharing his thoughts in under 140 characters. On April 11 2017, Trump boldly suggested China should be more active with its relations with North Korea, stating "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." Just moments before, Trump hinted that "[he] explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem!" 

© Shealah Craighead / Wikimedia Commons

The relations between the US and North Korea has not been steady as of late. America's recent bombing of a Syrian air base, as well as the recent targeting of the Korean Peninsula by the use of the US Navy Strike force, has caused North Korea to reconsider their own nuclear forces. North Korea reportedly stated that the establishment of their nuclear arsenal is necessary in order to defend itself from America's "evermore reckless moves for a war."

At first, the influence of China on the behavior of North Korea seems unrelated. China's influence on North Korea is mostly economic. As of 2015, China made up $2.83 billion, or 83 percent of North Korea's total exports. Although North Korea and China have had tensions in the past, it is the pure economic dependency on each other that sweetens bitter relations from the past. 

For this reason, Trump has offered to make a better trade deal with China to influence them to have more control over North Korea's future actions. Nevertheless, as Trump warns the North Korean government on Twitter, the potential for conflict is clear. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi commented on the rising tension, stating that "One has a the feeling that a conflict could break out at any moment. If a war occurs, the result is a situation in which everybody loses and there can be no winner."

© U.S. Department of State / Flickr.com

While tensions build between the US and North Korea, conflict between the US and China are exacerbated by the preservation of the One China Policy. A strategy to maintain peace between the two world powers, it is characterized by America's acknowledgement of the leadership of China to be based in Beijing, and the nearby island of Taiwan to be apart of China. In December of 2016, Trump suggested that he would forget about the One China Policy if China did not do more to control North Korea. Thus, Trump's recent twitter remarks is bringing the One China Policy into question. 

As the world waits in anticipation for the future of the US, China and North Korea relations, Trump continues to have a strong hold on everyone's attention through the use of Twitter. While the social media website seems harmless, Trump's use of the platform to directly talk to influential world powers like China about nuclear relations may become one of the underlying causes for the next world war.