Nuuanusam, I think you are mistaken about China running circles around Trump.  I believe it is the other way around.  China has been very protective of North Korea and has been highly critical of just about everything the US has done regarding North Korea.  That seems to have changed abruptly following President Xi’s meetings with Trump in Mar-a-Lago.  Since then China has been very silent about what the US is saying about North Korea or doing, like sending an armada to the Sea of Japan.   China also has cancelled purchases of coal from North Korea.which amounted to 40% of its foreign exchange,  and is instead buying it from the U.S.   It also appears that China has stopped or reduce sales of critical gasoline to North Korea and has also has demanded that North Korea stop all nuclear and missile tests.   It appears to me that Trump now has China doing his bidding.