Trump Plan on China May Come as Soon as this Week

U.S. President Donald Trump's top advisers are huddling behind the scenes in a bid to craft a set of economic measures meant to punish China, two administration officials told Politico. 

Trump's aides met over the weekend and will continue the discussions on Monday, with a final decision expected as soon as this week, the officials said.

They said there are a range of options on the table, including trade restrictions. Other possibilities include economic sanctions. But the officials said it's too early to say what the president might decide.

The escalating situation in North Korea, including Friday's latest intercontinental ballistic missile test, has heightened the urgency of crafting a cogent China strategy. The president believes China is not doing enough to stop North Korea from building a nuclear weapon that could strike U.S. soil — and he has long complained, both in public and in private, that the Chinese are engaging in unfair trade practices.

"I am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!" Trump said on Twitter over the weekend.