US sends message to North Korea, China with Syria strike

This satellite photo courtesy of the Department of Defense shows a battle damage assessment image of Shayrat Airfield, Syria,following US Tomahawk Land Attack Missile strikes on April 7, 2017 from the USS Ross (DDG 71) and USS Porter (DDG 78), Arleigh Burke-classguided-missile destroyers. -AFP/DoD

SEOUL: The US missile strike on Syria contained a clear message for North Korea and its main ally China, analysts said, but not one strong enough to push Pyongyang off its nuclear weapons path.

While the timing was largely coincidental, the fact that US President Donald Trump ordered the strike while hosting a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping carried particular resonance given that the North’s nuclear ambitions -- and how best to thwart them -- was among the top agenda items of their meeting.