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Tillerson: China Knows US Will Secure N. Korean Nukes If Regime Falls

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reiterated the U.S. wasn't trying to topple the Kim regime.
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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson might have opened a window into how the U.S. and China plan to deal with a destabilized North Korea.

Tillerson said the U.S. had plans to secure the regime's nuclear weapons in the event of a government collapse.

That's no surprise. What is a surprise is that Tillerson let slip the U.S. discussed that plan with China. Chinese leaders have dodged that topic to avoid even the perception of conspiring with the U.S. against its communist ally.

Tillerson reiterated the U.S. wasn't gunning for Kim Jong-un or seeking a regime change in North Korea. Rather, he said the U.S. already assured China that American troops would return south of the DMZ after the nuclear weapons were secured.