Are our policies toward North Korea and those of the North toward the U.S. about to explode into a war? What will China do? It has been quite clear that China doesn’t want a war, yet has made commitments to the North.Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson has given indications that the Trump administration has adopted a new, tougher policy against North Korea in an effort to control the North’s nuclear weapons program. Tillerson even has said pre-emptive action is on the “table.”President Trump has criticized both North Korea and China. He said those countries have been “playing” the United States for years and he said China has done little to help the situation.China is believed to be weighing its options since the North and the U.S. appear to be on a collision course.China did take action against the North earlier this year. It has suspended imports of coal from the North, saying the North had reached the annual limit allowed under United Nations sanctions. The New York Times reported that customs figures later showed that China had in fact imported only about 30 percent of the quota for 2017. That undoubtedly has upset North Korea, which has an economy that depends heavily on selling coal to China.What would the reaction be if the U.S. would strike first? It really is difficult to say. The same is true with the United Nations organization. How would it react?Would the U.S. be looked upon as the aggressor and not to be trusted? The U.N. has placed sanctions against North Korea for violations of nuclear weapons development rules. North Korea has snubbed its nose at the U.N. and its ban on nuclear weapons development.A war between North Korea and South Korea would be bloody, with deaths perhaps in the millions if it is a nuclear war. The U.S. has pledged support for South Korea since the shooting stopped in 1953. We have troops and anti-missile systems in South Korea. There is no question that casualties would be great if North Korea makes the first strike. With a population of about 25 million in the greater Soeul area, North Korea could cause the deaths of perhaps millions of South Koreans in the capital city. The retaliation by the South, aided by the U.S., would destroy the North.North Korea’s continued development of nuclear missiles has given it first strike potential. With its reckless leader, Kim Jong Un, who knows what he has in mind. However, if he makes the first attack, he must know that the U.S.-backed South will destroy him and his country.The situation in Korea seems to be reaching some kind of a climax.