President Donald Trump appeared to strike a more conciliatory tone on North Korea as he got down to business Monday on an Asian tour that will be dominated by the nuclear crisis with Pyongyang.
Trump's high-stakes visit to the region was overshadowed by what the president described as a "horrific shooting" in Texas, where a gunman killed at least 26 people and wounded 20 more during Sunday services.
"Our hearts are broken," he told business tycoons in Tokyo.
Trump began his marathon trip in belligerent form, warning on Sunday that "no dictator" should underestimate US resolve, a clear swipe at North Korea and its young leader Kim Jong-Un.
However he then appeared to open the door for talks with Pyongyang, saying in an interview broadcast on US TV that he would "certainly be open" to meeting Kim.
"I would sit down with anybody," he said. "I don't think it's strength or weakness, I think sitting down with people is not a bad thing," he said on the "Full Measure" show.
"So I would certainly be open to doing that but we'll see where it goes, I think we're far too early."
The president arrived in Asia with tensions over North Korea at fever pitch, as US bombers fly sorties over the Korean peninsula and concerns mount that Pyongyang might stage another nuclear or missile test.
- 'Really extraordinary' relationship -
Hawkish Abe and Trump are closely allied on the North Korea issue, with the Japanese prime minister sticking firmly to the US line that "all options" are on the table to deal with the rogue state.
"The closeness of the relationship is unprecedented. And the degree to which US and Japanese strategies are aligned, both on the Korean Peninsula but also throughout the Indo-Pacific, is also unprecedented," a senior Trump administration official said Sunday.
That closeness was demonstrated on the first day, when the two golfing buddies hit the course within hours of Trump touching down on Japanese soil.
Both leaders later tweeted images of their nine-hole encounter, with Abe saying the "relaxed" nature of their game allowed them to have "candid" discussions on some "difficult" issues.
However, that did not stop Trump lashing out at the trade relationship with Japan on Monday, saying it had been "winning" for decades at the expense of the United States.
"We want fair and open trade but right now our trade with Japan is not fair and open," Trump told business leaders.
"The US has suffered massive trade deficits with Japan for many, many years. So we will have to negotiate and we will do this in a friendly way."
- Focus on human rights -
Trump will on Monday meet families of civilians kidnapped by North Korea to train their agents in Japanese culture and language -- an emotional issue that still angers Tokyo.
North Korea has admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese civilians but Japan believes the regime took dozens more, including a 13-year-old girl abducted on her way home from school.
"You are going to see some focus on the often overlooked question of human rights conditions in NK," said the White House official.
Trump stressed US military power and resolve while wearing a bomber jacket in front of service personnel when he landed in Japan, but speaking to reporters on the plane, he reserved some warm words for the North Korean people.
"I think they're great people. They're industrious. They're warm, much warmer than the world really knows or understands. They're great people. And I hope it all works out for everybody," he said.
However, he described North Korea as "a big problem for our country and for our world and we want to get it solved".
Trump also announced that he would hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip, as the global community scrambles for a solution to the North Korean crisis.
"We want Putin's help on North Korea," he said.
After meeting the Emperor and Empress of Japan, Trump holds talks with the prime minister and will brief the media before a final banquet with his "friend" Abe.
But Trump's Asian tour is set to become more testing as he flies to South Korea, then on to China.
Trump has a cooler relationship with South Korean President Moon Jae-In, whose dovish approach to the crisis he has denounced as "appeasement".
The president will address the parliament in Seoul but will not visit the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula -- a visit derided in Washington as a bit of a "cliche."
From Seoul, Trump travels to Beijing to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping who has solidified his grip on power after being handed a second term.
Thousands urge peace in anti-Trump protest in S. Korea
Seoul (AFP) Nov 5, 2017 - Thousands of South Koreans protested Sunday against an upcoming visit by Donald Trump and called for peace as the US President begins an Asian tour dominated by North Korea's nuclear programme.
Trump, who arrived in Tokyo on Sunday, is set to visit the South from Tuesday to Wednesday as part of his first Asian trip as head of state that also includes Vietnam, China and the Philippines.
He is scheduled to hold a summit with President Moon Jae-In and visit a US military base, with all eyes on his message to the North and its leader Kim Jong-Un.
Tensions flared after Pyongyang staged a sixth atomic test in September and test-launched multiple missiles capable of reaching the US mainland, while Trump and Kim have traded colourful personal attacks.
South Korea is a key US ally and hosts 28,500 US troops but many of Trump's critics in the South see him as a warmonger whose recent war of words with Kim has heightened tensions on the flashpoint peninsula.
"We oppose war! Negotiate peace!" the protesters chanted in central Seoul, waving banners and balloons emblazoned "Peace, not war" and "We want peace".
Many slammed both Trump and Kim for heightening the risk of conflict.
"Trump and Kim... are using the current military standoff for their own political gain, while we South Koreans are trembling with fear of war!" one activist said on stage.
One mother whose son is serving the South's mandatory two-year army conscription accused the US leader of putting her son's life at risk.
"My heart stirs at every single word Trump says about North Korea," she said.
Organisers estimated the number of protesters at around 5,000.
Separately on Sunday a group of conservative activists held a rally to welcome Trump, urging Washington to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in the South to guard against threats from the North.
The latest standoff between Trump and Kim has raised concern among South Koreans, who have over decades grown indifferent to regular threats of attack from Pyongyang.
But some Trump advisers say US military options are limited because any armed conflict on the peninsula would be expected to cause huge casualties.
Seoul is home to 10 million people and only about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the heavily-fortified border, within range of Pyongyang's artillery.
China raps US sanctioning of bank over North Korea tiesBeijing (AFP) Nov 3, 2017
Beijing on Friday hit back at a US decision to exclude a Chinese bank from the American financial system over its alleged ties to North Korea, slamming the move as "long-armed jurisdiction". Washington had alerted other businesses in June that it planned to take the action, but it finally went into effect on Thursday, just as President Donald Trump was to set off on an Asian tour. China ... read more
Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
| Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution. |
||
| SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Oncecredit card or paypal |
 |
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthlypaypal only |
from Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense http://ift.tt/2yym9j4
via space News
No comments: