Amid escalating tensions with North Korea, highlighted by a drill on Thursday by US bombers near the Korean peninsula, President Donald Trump has embarked on a five-nation Asia visit that includes a two-day trip to South Korea.
Pyongyang’s threatening nuclear posture will dominate his discussions with Chinese and Japanese leaders. At the same time, the US has its security concerns with Beijing itself, particularly over its assertive positions on the South China Sea.
President Trump will focus on promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region, apart from strengthening the international resolve to denuclearize North Korea, National Security Adviser Gen HR McMaster told reporters at a White House briefing on the visit.
Apart from security issues, Trump will vigorously pursue trade issues, given his
declared commitment to “advance American prosperity through fair trade and economic practices”. Trump, who left Washington for Hawaii on Friday, will arrive in Tokyo on Sunday. After Japan, he will be travelling to South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.
On North Korea, the United States plans to keep up the pressure on the Kim Jong Un regime, with McMaster indicating that the country could be put back on
the US’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. “You’ll hear more about that soon, I think,” McMaster said even as reports quoted an official as saying that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expects to conclude his review on this score and “announce a decision within the month”.
Pyongyang for its part slammed the drill by US bombers on Thursday, said, “The gangster-like US imperialists are ceaselessly resorting to their frantic nuclear threat and blackmail to stifle DPRK with nukes at any cost.”
The US Air Force, however, asserted that the “continuous bomber presence mission” was planned in advance and was “not in response to any current event”.
The flyover came after two more US aircraft carriers joined the Japan-based USS Ronald Reagan in the Asia-Pacific region last week.
Tensions have been running high in recent months with Pyongyang’s nuclear push that prompted Trump to threaten North Korea with the prospect of total destruction, if necessary. If he called Kim Jong Un the “little Rocket Man”, the North Korean dubbed Trump a “mentally deranged US dotard”.
McMaster, answering a question, made it clear that Trump would not temper his rhetoric against North Korea in the course of his visit, remarking: “I don’t think the president really modulates his language. Have you noticed him do thatIJ I mean, he’s been very clear about it.”
Stating that the world is running of time to deal with the North Korean threat, McMaster commented: “I think there would be a grave danger if that regime didn’t understand our resolve, the president’s resolve to counter North Korean aggression.”
In China, Trump will meet with President Xi Jinping and make the case once again to urge Beijing to use its economic clout to compel North Korea stop its nuclear push. “China is definitely doing more. But obviously it’s not enough,” McMaster said.
Trump will also press China on trade. “We have trade deficits with China that are through the roof,” he said on Wednesday, adding: “They’re so big and so bad that it’s embarrassing saying what the number is. But you know what the number is. And I don’t want to embarrass anybody four days before I land in China, but it’s horrible.”