China could be doing more to take action against North Korea, but it continues to play a key role in that county's economy, Rep. Will Hurd said Wednesday, in response to a tweet by President Donald Trump saying that "China tried" to help.
"I read from that the president is looking at unilateral options in North Korea, which are limited," the Texas Republican told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program.
"Also, 90 percent of North Korea's economy comes through China. The Chinese could do more."
China has spoken about how it stopped purchasing coal from North Korea, Hurd continued, but "they had already exchanged money for a bunch of coal for the rest of the year. Are they going to continue that?"
In addition, the Chinese government allows North Korean companies to use "arcane business rules in China to operate," said Hurd, but the United States does have the economic tools to put pressure on the Chinese to get them to act on North Korea.
Show co-host Brian Kilmeade commented that he believed Trump tweaked the Chinese government with the tweet, but not embarrass it publicly.
Hurd also on Wednesday said the United States should shoot down any test rockets the North Korean government attempts to launch.
"Shoot it down," he said. "If the North Koreans test anything, I think we destroy it before it goes down. I think we have got to show them that we have the resolve and that we have the capability to do this."
The United States also needs to make sure the new regime in South Korea helps out against its neighbor.
"You know, the new South Korean president wants to engage with North Korea, and if Kim Jong Un wants to show he is serious, then releasing the three Americans still in captivity would be a good start," said Hurd, a former CIA officer.
There must also be consequences following the death of former North Korean hostage Otto Warmbier, 22, who died on Monday, less than a week after he was released, comatose, to the United States.
"If there are no consequences to negative behavior, then that negative behavior will continue," said Hurd. "I can only imagine what the family is going through and what they will be going through losing, you know a child in the prime of their life."
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