This looks like desperation - a last ditch attempt to avert a disastrous war with North Korea. But even if China fully enforces the economic sanctions, that isn't enough since it doesn't remove the threat of North Korea's nuclear tipped ICBMs, which might become operational next year or even sooner.
For the US, the only acceptable outcome from 'negotiations' would be for Kim Jung-Un to dismantle his entire program and open it up to international inspections. The odds of that happening are probably zilch.
Which brings the next possibility - that China somehow removes Kim Jung-Un and his replacement agrees to dismantle the entire program and open it up to international inspections. The odds of that happening are also close to zero.
So that leaves war, as Rickards is predicting, in approx 6-8 months. As a US official recently said - there is no road left to kick the can down.
I wonder how this fits in with Rickards timeline for the gold-dollar re-price/reboot? Looks like some big ass trouble is fast approaching. Rickards is now talking about selective short positions on the stock market.