China appears to be "actively involved" in dealing with the rising nuclear threat posed by North Korea, former Rep. Pete Hoekstra tells Newsmax TV.
"I think that they believe that instability and escalation on the Korean Peninsula would be a bad idea," Hoekstra, a Michigan Republican, said Monday on "America Talks Live" with Bill Tucker.
"They may be in a position now where they are starting to put more pressure on North Korea to reign in its nuclear program, its missile program and those types of things — but doing it very, very slowly."
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Hoekstra, who served as the chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, believes China is acting as its government sees "a new American president, a new American approach to the issue of North Korea."
"They recognize that the U.S. may be prepared to take action. They see all the activity that's going on in Asia, that we've had multiple trips of our leadership to South Korea, to Japan," Hoekstra said.
"They see that North Korea and the Korean Peninsula clearly is at the top of this administration's agenda and they don't want this spinning out of control."
Hoekstra said North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un is continuing his ongoing rhetoric of military threats, "but the real question is, is he slowing down some of these programs and what screws are the Chinese tightening right now?"
Hoekstra is the author of "Architects of Disaster: The Destruction of Libya," written with Teri Blumenfeld and published by The Calamo Press.
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