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After golf diplomacy in Japan, Trump tackles North Korea

Jerome Cartillier (AFP)
Tokyo, Japan
Mon, November 6, 2017

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After golf diplomacy in Japan, Trump tackles North Korea Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (right) and US President Donald Trump (left) meet for a dinner at a restaurant in Tokyo on Nov.5. Trump touched down in Japan on November 5, kicking off the first leg of a high-stakes Asia tour set to be dominated by soaring tensions with nuclear-armed North Korea. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/POOL/AFP)

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fter a relaxed day of golf and informal meals, US President Donald Trump kicks off his Asia tour in earnest Monday as he holds talks with Japanese leaders about tackling the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea.

Trump began his marathon trip in belligerent form, warning that "no dictator" should "underestimate" US resolve, a clear swipe at North Korea and its young leader Kim Jong-Un.

But on Monday he will begin a day of summit talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, with one eye on events back home after a gunman shot dead some two dozen worshippers at a Baptist church in Texas during Sunday morning services.

The president arrived in Asia with tensions over North Korea at fever pitch, as US bombers fly sorties over the Korean peninsula and concerns mount that Pyongyang might stage another nuclear or missile test.

However he appeared to strike a more conciliatory tone, saying in an interview broadcast on US TV that he would "certainly be open" to meeting Kim.

"I would sit down with anybody," he said. "I don't think it's strength or weakness, I think sitting down with people is not a bad thing," he said on the "Full Measure" show.

"So I would certainly be open to doing that but we'll see where it goes, I think we're far too early."

- 'Really extraordinary' relationship -

Hawkish Abe and Trump are closely allied on the North Korea issue, with the Japanese prime minister sticking firmly to the US line that "all options" are on the table to deal with the rogue state.

"The closeness of the relationship is unprecedented. And the degree to which US and Japanese strategies are aligned, both on the Korean Peninsula but also throughout the Indo-Pacific, is also unprecedented," a senior Trump administration official said Sunday.

This closeness was demonstrated on the first day, when the two golfing buddies hit the course within hours of Trump touching down on Japanese soil.

Both leaders later tweeted images of their nine-hole encounter, with Abe saying that the "relaxed" nature of their game allowed them to have "candid" discussions on some "difficult" issues.

Before teeing off, the pair enjoyed a hamburger lunch at an exclusive country club course which will host the golf at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

They later feasted on scallops and steak at a swanky restaurant in upmarket Ginza, with Trump telling reporters: "I don't think we've ever been closer to Japan than we are right now."

He added: "Our relationship is really extraordinary."

- 'Human rights' -

Trump will also meet families of civilians kidnapped by North Korea to train their agents in Japanese culture and language -- an emotional issue that still angers Tokyo today.

North Korea has admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese civilians but Japan believes the regime took dozens more, including a 13-year-old girl abducted on her way home from school.

"You are going to see some focus on the often overlooked question of human rights conditions in NK," said the White House official.

Trump stressed US military power and resolve while wearing a bomber jacket in front of service personnel but speaking to reporters on the plane, he reserved some warm words for the North Korean people.

"I think they're great people. They're industrious. They're warm, much warmer than the world really knows or understands. They're great people. And I hope it all works out for everybody," he said.

However, he described North Korea as "a big problem for our country and for our world and we want to get it solved".

Trump also announced that he would hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip, as the global community scrambles for a solution to the North Korean crisis.

"We want Putin's help on North Korea," said Trump.

After meeting the Emperor and Empress of Japan, Trump holds talks with the prime minister and will brief the media before a final banquet dinner in Tokyo with his "friend" Abe.

But Trump's Asian tour is set to become more testing as he flies to South Korea, then Beijing.

Trump has a cooler relationship with South Korean President Moon Jae-In, whose dovish approach to the crisis he has denounced as "appeasement".

The president will address the parliament in Seoul but will not visit the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula -- a visit derided in Washington as a bit of a "cliche."

From Seoul, Trump travels to China to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping who has solidified his grip on power after being handed a second term.

"Of course, China has done much more than it ever has done and we're cooperating more closely with China than we ever have on this subject (North Korea)," the administration official said. (**)

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