Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd: 'China Thinks Donald Trump Is Bluffing On North Korea'

Xi Jinping (right) may think Donald Trump is bluffing, but concerns over war are becoming more real. Reuters: Carlos Barria

ABC News Online: North Korea: Kevin Rudd says China thinks Donald Trump is bluffing, urges 'grand bargain' to defuse nuclear standoff

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd is urging the United States and China to strike a "grand bargain" for the Korean peninsula.

As tensions continue to build and threats of missile strikes escalate, Mr Rudd said there was a real danger of strategic miscommunication.

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke to US President Donald Trump on the weekend and told him there needed to be a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue.

But Mr Rudd told RN Breakfast it was a "difficult and dangerous time".

"War on the peninsula is by no means probable, however conflict … becomes more and more possible, which is why we need calm language [and] solid diplomacy," he said.

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WNU Editor: I am not optimistic on Kevin Rudd's hope that a "grand bargain" can be reached to defuse the current nuclear standoff. But he is right that many in Beijing believe that President Trump is bluffing on North Korea .... at least that is the input that I am getting from my Chinese friends.