THE ART OF THE DEAL: China, South Korea discuss more sanctions on North Korea amid talk of Trump action.

The possibility of U.S. military action against North Korea in response to such tests gained traction following last week’s strikes against Syria. Previously, Washington has leaned toward sanctions and pressure to deter North Korea, but comments from U.S. President Donald Trump’s top aides at the weekend suggest that position may be hardening.

However, South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy Kim Hong-kyun said there was no mention of any military option in his talks with China’s Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs, Wu Dawei. The two also did not discuss any possible strike against the North by the Trump administration, he said.

“Both sides agreed that despite the international community’s warnings, if North Korea makes strategic provocations such as a nuclear test or an ICBM launch, there should be strong additional measures in accordance with U.N. security council resolutions,” Kim told reporters.

Kim added the two sides agreed “an even stronger U.N. resolution” will have to be adopted in the event of additional weapons test by North Korea.

They didn’t have to talk about a possible U.S. strike on North Korea; after the cruise missile strike on that Syrian airfield last week, the threat of it is simply there.

And SecState Rex Tillerson told CBS News yesterday, “I think even China is beginning to recognize that this presents a threat to even China’s interests.”

Indeed. China did an about-face on North Korea last year, co-authoring new U.N. sanctions after yet another Nork nuclear test. Enforcement is believed to have been spotty, but with today’s news it looks increasingly like Beijing is looking for a graceful (or at least not too ungraceful) way out of its commitment to Pyongyang.