WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump has made trade policy the connective tissue that ties together different elements of his "America First" foreign policy and syncs up them with his political strategy for the 2020 presidential election.

He pulled the plug on an upcoming trip to North Korea by his secretary of state, and pointed a finger of blame at China and the global super power's trade practices.

In his recent trade breakthrough with Mexico, Trump praised the country's outgoing president for his help on border security and agriculture.

Both developments offered fresh evidence of how closely linked trade and foreign policy in his political strategy. Trump's 2016 triumph was paved in part by his support among blue-collar voters in Midwestern manufacturing states.

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