The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is warning it will carry out a nuclear test at any time, and any location, set by its leadership.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been escalating for weeks, with some indications the DPRK could be preparing to conduct its sixth nuclear test.

A US Navy strike group, led by the aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson, is now in the region taking part in naval exercises.

In a recent interview on CBS News, U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the threat and his views about China’s response.

“I will tell you, a man that I’ve gotten to like and respect, the president of China, President Xi, I believe, has been putting pressure on him also.
But so far, perhaps nothing’s happened and perhaps it has. This was a small missile. This was not a big missile.
This was not a nuclear test, which he was expected to do three days ago. We’ll see what happens.”

-U.S. President Donald Trump

To discuss the current situation with the DPRK and the growing tensions in the region and with the U.S.:

• Qinduo Xu, a political analyst with China Radio International
• Yonho Kim, a senior researcher with the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University
• Sourabh Gupta, a senior Asia-Pacific international relations policy specialist
• Jonah Blank, a senior political scientist with the RAND Corporation