Word Association (2024)

[rooster59]

Trump, dogged at home, begins longest presidential Asia trip in years

By Steve Holland

 

U.S. President Donald Trump sports a flower lei he was given as he and first lady Melania Trump arrive aboard Air Force One at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, U.S. November 3, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

HONOLULU (Reuters) - President Donald Trump arrived in Hawaii on Friday as he set out on the longest trip to Asia by an American president in more than a quarter century, looking for help to pressure North Korea to stand down from a nuclear crisis.

 

After Air Force One landed at Joint Base Hickam, Trump and his wife, Melania, were draped with traditional lei necklaces. Trump went on to nearby Camp Smith for a classified briefing from Pacific Command military leaders that officials expected would touch on North Korea and other areas.

 

Later, he was to visit Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona memorial for the U.S. sailors killed when Japan bombed the American naval base on Dec. 7, 1941.

 

Trump's 12-day trip to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, ending on Nov. 14, takes him out of Washington at a time when he has been beset by several issues.

 

These include an intensifying federal investigation into Russian meddling in last year's election, New York's recovery from an attack earlier this week that killed eight people, and debate over a Republican tax-cut plan that if approved by Congress would be Trump's first major legislative victory.

 

The trip began just days after Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort was indicted in the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and after his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, faced Democratic calls to appear before Congress again to clarify his previous testimony about the campaign's Russia contacts.

 

Amid the furore caused by the revelations, the Kremlin said on Friday that a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at an Asian economic summit next week was being discussed, and Trump said it might happen.

 

"We may have a meeting with Putin," Trump told Fox News. "And, again – Putin is very important because they can help us with North Korea. They can help us with Syria. We have to talk about Ukraine."

 

Court documents made public on Monday also disclosed that a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty early last month to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The documents cited a March 2016 meeting, when Trump was campaigning for the presidency, and attended by Trump and Sessions, in which Papadopoulos offered to help arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin.

 

While Trump tweeted about developments vigorously this week, he told The New York Times on Wednesday that he was "not angry at anybody" about the case and there was nothing to suggest any collusion by his campaign and Russia.

 

CHINA AND PYONGYANG

 

Trump's plan for an extended absence from Washington has alarmed allies who, after seeing a healthcare reform bid fizzle, worry the tax effort could suffer without Trump to keep momentum going.

 

On Saturday, Trump is to fly to Japan and later visit South Korea in search of a united front against North Korea before going to Beijing, where he will push Chinese President Xi Jinping to get tougher with Pyongyang.

 

In the Fox interview, Trump was asked if he planned to be tough on China over thorny issues including trade, intellectual property theft and subsidies.

 

"You have to understand something - very important," he responded. "We have a problem called North Korea."

 

Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping "has been pretty terrific" in cutting Pyongyang off from banking and oil systems. He added that Japan had reason to be worried about North Korea and alluded to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's campaign for a military buildup against that threat.

 

"Well, you know Japan is a warrior nation," he said. "I tell China and I tell everyone else that, listen, you’re going to have yourself a big problem with Japan pretty soon if you allow this to continue with North Korea."

 

Trump will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Danang, Vietnam, make a state visit to Hanoi and end his trip with the Association of South East Asia Nations summit in Manila. Trump told reporters before leaving on Friday that he would spend an extra day in the Philippines.

 

The last time a U.S. president was in Asia for so long was in late 1991 and early 1992, when President George H.W. Bush became ill at a Japanese state dinner.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-04

[Thakkar]

Newsweek headline: Snakes on a plane.

[tonbridgebrit]

Okay Mr Trump, this is it. The Big One, this is where it matters most. You are representing your nation in, in the Far East. The Pacific Rim is what it's all about. Your impact on the Pacific Ocean matters far more than what goes on in the Atlantic Ocean. As for the Indian Ocean, nobody cares, India can't even be bothered to claim it.

The Far East, America will be doing more and more trade with these countries, "Power in the Pacific" is what all of America's previous presidents tried to achieve and maintain.



So, Mr Trump, what are going to do and say, when you're in the Far East ? 
Are you going to tell China that you're going to slap some serious taxes on the Chinese goods entering into America ? Are you going to tell Beijing to stop building more islands in the South China Sea ? Are you going to visit the De-militarised zone between North Korea and South Korea ? Are you going to see the North Korean guards with your own eyes ? In Japan, are you going to tell the Japanese that the two nukes dropped onto Japan back in 1945 saved lives, that's because Japan was willing to have all it's adult men killed in their army to prevent a Japanese surrender. Yes, are you going to tell Japan that they should thank America for the two nukes ?  Are you going to make a quick detour to Taiwan ?  I mean, once you're in China, why not go to Taiwan as well ? After all, there is only one China, Washington believes in the One-China policy, maybe you should go to Taiwan when you are in China, that's because it is part of China. What are you going to say to Duterte in the Philippines ? Are you going to thank Duterte for making the abusive remarks about Obama ?

So much to do, so much to talk about. Yeah, I suppose that's why this is a marathon trip. Longer than the previous trips done by previous presidents.

[champers]

And the bad news: he'll be back to the USA when he is done.

[tonbridgebrit]

Right, this is it. The massive tour to the Pacific Rim nations is on. The President, I think, is still in Hawaii.  First stop on this Pacific Rim tour is, is Japan.

The 5th November, come on Mr President, the eyes of the world are on you. Show us that YOU can deliver when it matters. History is being made. Go on Mr Trump, do it, show the world that you can do it.

 

[Stargeezr]

Nice to see the US president spending lots of tax dollars on this Asia trip.    Now  if  the  military could do a coup.....   555

Geezer

 

 

[farcanell]

A traveling circus... complete with clowns