Wrapping up his second European tour, U. S. President Donald Trump and Asian allies searched for consensus Saturday on how to counter what the president called the “menace” of North Korea after its test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. “Something has to…
Wrapping up his second European tour, U. S. President Donald Trump and Asian allies searched for consensus Saturday on how to counter what the president called the “menace” of North Korea after its test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
“Something has to be done about it, ” Trump said as he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a separate meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump said the two were tackling “the problem and menace of North Korea.”
The White House said after the meeting with Abe that the U. S. was “prepared to use the full range of capabilities” in defense of Japan. Trump and Abe committed, the White House said, “to redoubling their efforts to bring all nations together to show North Korea that there are consequences for its threatening and unlawful actions.”
The Trump administration has tried to pressure Beijing to rein in North Korea, a major trading partner, to halt Kim Jong Un’s development of nuclear weapons before they have the ability to threaten the U. S. homeland. Trump has voiced his frustration in recent days that China hasn’t done more, suggesting he may be moving on.
But during his meeting, Trump told Xi, “I appreciate the things that you have done relative to the very substantial problem that we all face in North Korea.”
Abe noted that the security situation in the Asia Pacific region has become “increasingly severe” due to North Korea’s push to develop its ballistic missile and nuclear program.
