US President Donald Trump hosts Japan's Shinzo Abe at his Mar-a-Lago resort Tuesday (Apr 17), with both men under pressure to deliver something more than bonhomie and birdies. President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last year upon his arrival for a luncheon in Japan. (Photo: AFP/Jim WATSON) The Japanese prime minister will make his second visit to Trump's ostentatious Palm Beach, Florida estate, when the focus will be on trade and security. Last year, Trump and Abe traded fist bumps and high fives as they snuck in a round of golf in Palm Beach and a return leg near Tokyo, tucking into burgers with ketchup for good measure. "Obviously, the President has got a great relationship there," said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders looking forward to meetings this Tuesday and Wednesday. But with Abe's approval rating languishing at its lowest level in years and Trump mired in controversies and crises too numerous to list, both are … [Read more...] about Trump hosts Abe with North Korea, trade on the agenda
North korea
Japan FM to voice North Korea concerns in rare Seoul visit
Japan's foreign minister was in South Korea for a rare visit Wednesday (Apr 11), armed with a list of issues Tokyo wants to push onto the agenda of a looming summit between North and South Korea. Japan's foreign minister Taro Kono is in South Korea for his first visit in more than two years AFP/Andy Wong The first such visit in more than two years comes at a time of frenetic diplomatic activity in Northeast Asia, ahead of the North's planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump. North Korea's young leader Kim Jong Un met Chinese President Xi Jinping in his first overseas trip last month. Japan has largely remained on the sidelines, with suggestions last month of a third summit between Kim and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe quickly petering out. Instead, Tokyo has found itself forced to rely on the US and South Korea to tackle its concerns regarding the North, which last year test-fired several missiles that flew over Japan, … [Read more...] about Japan FM to voice North Korea concerns in rare Seoul visit
Trump says talks with North Korea’s Kim in ‘May or early June’
US President Donald Trump said on Monday (Apr 9) he plans to meet with North Korea's Kim Jong Un next month or in early June, indicating a historic summit between the Cold War rivals is still on track. US President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP) Speaking at the White House, Trump expressed hope that relations - which for a century have been marked by war, animosity and a perilous arms race - could be put on a friendlier footing. Trump told reporters before a cabinet meeting that the summit would be sometime in "May or early June" - letting the original May time line slip a little, but confirming the meeting is still on. "I think there will be great respect paid by both parties and hopefully there will be a deal on denuking," he said. "Hopefully it will be a relationship that will be much different than it has been for many, many years." After Trump's shock March announcement that he had accepted an … [Read more...] about Trump says talks with North Korea’s Kim in ‘May or early June’
North Korea tells US it is prepared to discuss denuclearization: source
North Korea has told the United States for the first time that it is prepared to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets President Donald Trump, a U.S. official said on Sunday. U.S. and North Korean officials have held secret contacts recently in which Pyongyang directly confirmed its willingness to hold the unprecedented summit, the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. The communications, still at a preliminary stage, have involved State Department officials talking to North Korea apparently through its United Nations mission, and intelligence officers from both sides using a separate backchannel, the official said. Until now, Washington had relied mostly on ally South Korea’s assurance of Kim’s intentions. South Korean envoys visited Washington last month to convey Kim’s invitation to meet. Trump, who has exchanged bellicose threats with Kim in the past year, surprised the world by quickly … [Read more...] about North Korea tells US it is prepared to discuss denuclearization: source
North Korea rights record likely off table at Korean summit: Seoul
Seoul's top diplomat said Wednesday that North Korea's human rights record is unlikely to be discussed at this month's summit, after Pyongyang denounced the South for supporting a fresh UN resolution against the North. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the South's president Moon Jae-in are due to meet for a rare inter-Korean summit on April 27. But Pyongyang's state media condemned South Korea Tuesday for its "dubious double dealing," after Seoul welcomed a new United Nations resolution against North Korea's human rights violations. Such action could jeopardize future dialogue, the North warned. "This is an open political provocation to the DPRK and an intolerable act of chilling the atmosphere for dialogue," the North's official KCNA agency said in a commentary, using North Korea's official acronyms. It added: "Whom are they going to hold dialogue with and whom are they going to improve relations with while denying the dignity and social system of the dialogue partner?" South … [Read more...] about North Korea rights record likely off table at Korean summit: Seoul