Don't Miss

U.S. Pressed to Pursue Deal to Freeze North Korea Missile Tests

June 22, 2017

By DAVID E. SANGER and GARDINER HARRIS New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/21/world/asia/north-korea-missle-tests.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has come under growing pressure to open negotiations on a temporary freeze on North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests in return for reducing the American military footprint in the Korean Peninsula, according to American officials and foreign diplomats.

Versions of the proposal, floated by Beijing for several months, have been revived several times this week, first by South Korea’s newly installed president and then by China’s foreign minister and one of its top military officials in talks on Wednesday with Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

But White House officials say they are not interested in any proposal that would require the United States to lift military or economic pressure on the North, even in return for a moratorium on tests. Instead, Mr. Tillerson and Mr. Mattis publicly pressed the Chinese to exert more diplomatic and economic pressure on Pyongyang, though President Trump indicated on Twitter on Tuesday that he had just about given up on obtaining help from the Chinese.

“China understands that the United States regards North Korea as our top security threat,” Mr. Tillerson told reporters at a news conference after meetings with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, and Gen. Fang Fenghui, in the first security dialogue with Beijing conducted by the Trump administration. “We reiterated to China that they have a diplomatic responsibility to exert much greater economic and diplomatic pressure on the regime if they want to prevent further escalation in the region.”

But like his predecessors, Mr. Trump is gradually learning that for all its talk about cooperation, China is deeply reluctant to take any measures that could seriously destabilize the North Korean government, for fear the country might collapse or be absorbed by the South.

So China’s strategy has been to buy time — and preserve the status quo — with talks that may be linked to some kind of testing freeze. They may now have a new advocate of that approach, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, who was elected on a platform pledging resumed engagement with the North. On Tuesday, he embraced a similar idea, telling Norah O’Donnell of CBS News in an interview that a freeze could be a way station to a second phase of talks that would “achieve the complete dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear program.”

In an interview broadcast on Wednesday, the North Korean ambassador to India, Kye Chun-yong, said his country was willing to consider a moratorium on nuclear and ballistic missile tests if the United States and South Korea stopped their annual joint military exercises.

“Under certain circumstances, we are willing to talk in terms of freezing nuclear testing or missile testing,” Mr. Kye said, speaking in English. “For instance, if the American side completely stops big, large-scale military exercises temporarily or permanently, then we will also temporarily stop. Let’s talk about how to solve the Korean issue peacefully.”

But to American officials, a freeze is a trap that previous administrations have stepped into. The Clinton administration tried a freeze in 1994 that the North Koreans first cheated on and then openly discarded early in the administration of President George W. Bush. At the end of Mr. Bush’s term, a second such freeze and partial dismantlement of a nuclear reactor was negotiated, only to be abandoned by the North Koreans as soon as President Barack Obama entered office.

Mr. Tillerson himself rejected the idea of such a negotiated freeze when he visited South Korea early this year, saying that it would simply enshrine “a comprehensive set of capabilities” that North Korea has already developed, a reference to its arsenal of a dozen or more nuclear weapons and a growing fleet of short- and medium-range missiles that can hit American troops in the region, along with South Korea and Japan.

But the idea has been embraced by some longtime Korea experts, including former Defense Secretary William J. Perry, who say that it is the only way to buy some time before North Korea successfully tests an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the United States.

All the other options available to the United States have major drawbacks. They include secondary sanctions on Chinese banks and companies doing business with North Korea; a military strike; or simple acceptance of North Korea as a nuclear power.

Secondary sanctions could ignite a trade war. Even a limited military strike could lead North Korea to attack Seoul with conventional weapons, with potentially catastrophic results. And few in the United States government are ready to accept North Korea as an established nuclear power.

Without a clear alternative, the Trump administration remains committed to urging China to crack down on Pyongyang. Some 90 percent of North Korea’s trade is with China. And although China recently banned imports of North Korea coal, overall trade between the two countries has actually been increasing.

Mr. Tillerson said countries around the world were cracking down on activities North Korea uses to fund its weapons programs, “and we hope China will do their part as well.”

Mr. Mattis vowed to “continue to take necessary measures to defend ourselves and our allies.”

topstories

27 Comments

html color

June 22, 2017 at 7:00 PM

Interesting article! Thank you for sharing them! I hope you will continue to have similar posts to share with everyone!

Reply
BBM for iPad

June 23, 2017 at 3:19 AM

There are different kinds of emoticons which are available in BBM

Reply
dealsconnect official website

June 26, 2017 at 9:26 PM

This is a companion app for Capital Connect customers giving them easy access to all features provided by the Capital Connect service.

Reply
download lucky patcher no root

June 29, 2017 at 3:15 AM

Lucky Patcher No Root – Lucky Patcher apk download for android for free. check step by step process to root your android mobile.
https://www.luckypatcher.xyz/lucky-patcher-no-root/

Reply
Tweak box

July 4, 2017 at 10:55 PM

TweakBox is an app store where you can download apps for your android or iOS devices that are not available in the official Google play store.
Tweakbox

Reply
bbm for pc

August 1, 2017 at 9:57 PM

atcher No Root – Lucky Patcher apk download for android for free. check step by step process to root your android mobile.

Reply
xender for pc

August 1, 2017 at 9:58 PM

TweakBox is an app store where you can download apps for your android or iOS devices that are not available in the official Google play store.

Reply
instagam for pc

August 1, 2017 at 9:59 PM

This is a companion app for Capital Connect customers giving them easy access to all features provided by the Capital Connect service.

Reply
line for pc

August 1, 2017 at 10:00 PM

nteresting article! Thank you for sharing them! I hope you will continue to have similar posts to share with everyone!

Reply
jelly gamat walatra

August 5, 2017 at 12:45 AM

jelly gamat walatra

Reply
appvn baixar,

August 5, 2017 at 2:12 AM

Appvn APP is used to download paid apps, games, ringtones, comics, e-books freely. Here download steps are available.

Reply
aptoide para iphone

August 7, 2017 at 10:23 PM

Here you can know How to Download and Install Aptoide Apk for iOS Devices.
Aptoide iOS

Reply
TEATV APP

August 15, 2017 at 7:19 PM

AMAZING SITE TO GET……..teatv app

Reply
Fildo Music App

August 18, 2017 at 9:56 AM

good songs that’s just in the cloud which doesn’t. In this Fildo Music App you stop your All Access strategy, the music downloaded great.
Fildo Music App

Reply
aptoide apk 2017

August 18, 2017 at 9:57 AM

best apk for free aptoide download for android and all device.
aptoide apk 2017

Reply
smily

September 18, 2017 at 4:02 AM

Yonder Music app is the biggest library of local and international music. To download the app click here
Yonder music download

Reply
Appvn

September 18, 2017 at 10:06 PM

Appvn is a unique application store with the features of downloading many interesting and trending applications free of cost. Click here to download

Reply
Kingroot Apk

September 19, 2017 at 5:15 AM

KingRoot App is the best application to root any Android Device.
KingRoot pc

Reply
GB Whats App

September 20, 2017 at 12:19 AM

Descargar apk gbwhatsapp for android.For more details about gbwhatsapp descargar gratis click here
gbwhatsapp descargar gratis

Reply
UKTVNow

September 20, 2017 at 9:55 AM

Thanks for the great Post. Loved the comments.
UktvNow Apk

Reply
netcut pro

September 21, 2017 at 2:01 AM

Download NetCut APK for Android. Check NetCut APK Permissions, NetCut Pro APK Download & Installation Steps for Android.

Reply
Bobby Movie Box for iOS

October 17, 2017 at 9:50 PM

Bobby Movie Box for iOS is an awesome video streaming application which is designed especially for the iOS devices click here to download.

Reply
LED TV

October 19, 2017 at 8:53 PM

Now you can watch your favorite movies, tv programs, sports by using LED TV App. For more click here
LED TV

Reply
Dokkan Battle PC

October 20, 2017 at 10:28 PM

Click here to know how to download and then install the latest version of Dokkan Battle on Pc.
Dokkan Battle PC

Reply
Droid Buddy 2 APK

December 15, 2017 at 8:49 PM

Droid Buddy Apk is an entertainment app and it is a hub for other games and apps, click here to know more information.

Reply
es file explorer for ios

December 21, 2017 at 11:43 PM

es FileExplorer is a powerful file manager app on your iPhone and iPad, click here to know more information.

Reply
movie box

January 5, 2018 at 9:57 PM

I found your article so interesting.Thank you for sharing this nice post awesome keep sharing.
movie box

Reply