John McCain says North Korea 'may be the first test of this presidency'

U.S.-China relations are central to handling what could be the first major challenge of Donald Trump's presidency, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Sunday while speaking with NBC's Chuck Todd.

"I want to start with North Korea," Todd said. "President Trump just tweeted this morning, 'Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!' Why does China's currency policy have anything to do with North Korea?"

"It may be part of the overall relationship, but China is the key," McCain replied. "They can stop [North Korea's nuclear development] if they want to because of their control over the North Korean economy."

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Dealing with Pyongyang's provocation "may be the first test of this presidency," he added. "But China can shut them down and we should be — whether they're currency manipulators or not — we should expect them to act to prevent what could be a cataclysmic event." Watch an excerpt of the interview below. Bonnie Kristian