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World 'running out of time' on North Korea, Trump to tell Asia: White House

By Steve Holland

 

U.S. President Donald Trump hosts a tax reform industry meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will tell leaders on a five-nation Asia tour that the world is "running out of time" on North Korea's nuclear crisis and that he will give his strategy to isolate Pyongyang a few months before making adjustments, a top Trump aide said on Thursday.

 

Trump leaves on Friday for Hawaii, the first stop en route to Asia where he will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. It will be the longest Asia tour by an American president in more than 25 years.

 

His goal will be to increase international support for an effort to deprive North Korea of resources as leverage to coerce it to give up nuclear weapons.

 

"The president recognises that we're running out of time (to deal with North Korea) and will ask all nations to do more," White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters at a briefing.

 

South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday that North Korea may be planning a new missile test, after brisk activity was spotted at its research facilities. [L4N1N83MN]

 

At the same time, the U.S. military is keeping a close eye on North Korea.

 

Two Guam-based U.S. B-1B bombers, accompanied by fighter jets from South Korea and Japan, carried out an exercise in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula on Thursday, the U.S. Air Force said.

 

"The bilateral continuous bomber presence mission was planned in advance ... and was not in response to any current event," the Air Force said in a statement.

 

McMaster said Trump would urge countries with the most influence over Pyongyang to "convince its leaders that the pursuit of nuclear weapons is a dead end" and that it must denuclearize.

 

"And he will remind friend and foe alike that the United States stands ready to defend itself and our allies using the full range of our capabilities," said McMaster.

 

Perhaps Trump's most critical stop will be in China, where he will ask Chinese President Xi Jinping to do more to rein in North Korea. Senior U.S. officials say China considers North Korea a strategic asset and is reluctant to cut off resources to Pyongyang for fear of triggering a refugee wave.

 

McMaster said Trump, who has approved a variety of sanctions against North Korea while pressing China to do more, is at the beginning of his drive for Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons. Trump has warned he would "totally destroy" North Korea if it threatened the United States.

 

"I think we have to be a little patient here for at least a few months to see what more we and others can do, including China," said McMaster. "I don't think we need to reassess our strategy now. I think we have to give it a couple of months, a few months, and then see what adjustments we might need to make."

 

Trump is expected to press Xi to reduce oil exports to North Korea and coal imports from Pyongyang and limit financial transactions. The Chinese leader is newly ascendant after consolidating power at a Communist Party congress.

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland and David Alexander; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Cynthia Osterman)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-03

[Scott]

A baiting post has been reported and removed.  

[tandor]

...NK have had their 5th and semi-final warning.

[Krataiboy]

OK. He's bought some breathing space for the world. Let's just hope Kim John-Un is smart enough not to atmosphere test his latest nuclear weapon while Trump is on walkabout. Who knows how he might react?

 

[FitnessHealthTravel]

29 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

OK. He's bought some breathing space for the world. Let's just hope Kim John-Un is smart enough not to atmosphere test his latest nuclear weapon while Trump is on walkabout. Who knows how he might react?

 

Kim JU was raised for this. Why should any country give up anything just because another country or countries like US etc say so. Especially since they have the same weapons. You don't hear Trump asking Russia to give up their program.  Do you honestly think he will reason away everything his grand Farther and Father have taught him...how funny!

[transam]

6 minutes ago, FitnessHealthTravel said:

Kim JU was raised for this. Why should any country give up anything just because another country or countries like US etc say so. Especially since they have the same weapons. You don't hear Trump asking Russia to give up their program.  Do you honestly think he will reason away everything his grand Farther and Father have taught him...how funny!

If NK had threatened the space you are sitting in at this moment when he gets his big toy, what would you say then...?

[White Christmas13]

What about trying this ?

 

http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/kim-jongun-can-be-defeated-by-spread-of-information-north-korean-defector-says/news-story/f60fac869d808a713d017c0f50288991?from=rss-basic

[Krataiboy]

3 hours ago, FitnessHealthTravel said:

Kim JU was raised for this. Why should any country give up anything just because another country or countries like US etc say so. Especially since they have the same weapons. You don't hear Trump asking Russia to give up their program.  Do you honestly think he will reason away everything his grand Farther and Father have taught him...how funny!

Not as amusing as you seem to think if it provokes Trump into reacting with force instead of diplomacy. And we all know what a loose cannon he is. 

 

I fully understand why the North Korean leader is determined to have a nuclear deterrent. One can only hope that he understands where the world be heading if he needlessly acts provocatively.

 

It is no secret that clandestine diplomatic efforts are being made to improve relations between these belligerent adversaries. Both need to step back and give peace a chance.

Edited November 3, 2017 by Krataiboy

[Morch]

7 hours ago, FitnessHealthTravel said:

Kim JU was raised for this. Why should any country give up anything just because another country or countries like US etc say so. Especially since they have the same weapons. You don't hear Trump asking Russia to give up their program.  Do you honestly think he will reason away everything his grand Farther and Father have taught him...how funny!

 

Got to love posters living under a rock. To phrase it in a form of a question - what is NPT?

Russia, like the USA does keep much of its nuclear arsenal (if not at previous levels). That the NPT is not perfect, does not mean that not having it is a better option. And in most cases, nuclear weapons are a state matter, not a spoiled brat dictator matter.