After summit with China\u2019s Xi, cruise missiles launch at Syrian airbase, president dispatches naval force to western Pacific, talks to Japan\u2019s Abe<\/b>
U. S. President Donald Trump went to one of his golf courses on the Florida Atlantic coast Sunday for a second consecutive day, following an eventful week that included his much-scrutinized summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which he ordered cruise missiles launched at a Syrian airbase.
White House officials were tight-lipped about the president\u2019s activities Saturday and Sunday, which were known to have included time on the golf course and a long phone call, the second in a span of four days, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
In the most recent conversation, which lasted 45 minutes, Abe told reporters he and the U. S. president \u201cfrankly exchanged opinions about North Korea and Syria following Thursday\u2019s U. S. Navy strike on a Syrian airfield that was believed to be the launch site for last week’s chemical attack on civilians in rebel-held territory that killed dozens, including children.
The two leaders \u201ccompletely agreed on the importance of solidarity among the United States, Japan and South Korea regarding North Korea\u2019s increasing ballistic missile and nuclear weapons development threats, \u00a0\u00bb Abe said.
The White House, in its statement released Sunday about the previous day\u2019s call, said Trump thanked Abe for his support of the U. S. missile strikes and they \u201calso agreed to further cooperation on a range of regional issues, including the threat posed by North Korea.\u201d
Dispatching navy forces to Korean peninsula
The U. S. Defense Department announced late Saturday the Pacific Command had ordered a U. S. Navy strike group (USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier) to head towards the Korean peninsula.
FILE – Fighter jets are seen on board the U. S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in the South China Sea, March 3, 2017. The Pentagon announced late Saturday the USS Carl Vinson was en route towards the Korean peninsula.
This is \u201ca prudent measure to maintain readiness and presence in the Western Pacific,\u201d a command spokesman, Navy Commander Dave Benham told VOA. \u201cThe number-one threat in the region continues to be North Korea, due to its reckless, irresponsible and destabilizing program of missile tests and pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability.\u201d
The diversion of the naval strike force from a scheduled cruise to Australia, following a port call in Singapore, comes after several recent missile test firings into the eastern waters of the Korean peninsula by North Korea and amid preparations for what would be the isolated and impoverished nation\u2019s sixth underground nuclear weapons test.
Trump, according to administration officials, informed President Xi during their meetings last week that if China was not successful in dissuading North Korea from further provocative actions, the United States is prepared to take action on its own.
According to data compiled by The Washington Post, Trump, who repeatedly criticized his predecessor for golf outings, has been on the fairways once every 5.3 days, compared to Barack Obama\u2019s pace of every 8.8 days.
Despite repeated inquiries from VOA and other news organizations traveling with the president, the White House issued no detailed information on Trump\u2019s activities during his five hours both Saturday and Sunday at the Trump International Golf Club. But a CNN videographer spotted the commander-in-chief on the links on Saturday.
A source told VOA that Trump played 18 holes Saturday. On Sunday, Trump was seen leaving his Mar-a-Lago estate clad in a white polo shirt and a red cap with \u201cUSA\u201d lettering.
While at the golf club, Trump, on his personal Twitter account, said he was \u201cso sad\u201d to learn of the lethal Palm Sunday bombings of two churches in Egypt, adding he had great confidence President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi \u201cwill handle the situation properly.\u201d
The Egyptian president ordered military deployments to guard \u201cvital and important infrastructure\u201d following the attacks, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility.<\/p>\n