US President Donald Trump is expected to tell leaders on a five-nation Asia tour that the world is “running out of time” on stopping North Korea’s nuclear crisis and that Washington is prepared to defend itself if needed, a top White House aide said on Thursday.
“The president recognizes that we’re running out of time (to deal with North Korea) and will ask all nations to do more,” White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters at a briefing.
He said Trump would urge countries with the most influence over Pyongyang to “convince its leaders that the pursuit of nuclear weapons is a dead end” and that it must denuclearize.
“And he will remind friend and foe alike that the United States stands ready to defend itself and our allies using the full range of our capabilities,” said McMaster.
Trump is scheduled to leave on Friday for Hawaii, the first stop en route to Asia where he will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. It will be the longest Asia tour by an American president in more than 25 years.
Undoubtedly, Trump’s most critical stop will be in China, where he will ask Chinese President Xi Jinping to do more to rein in North Korea. Senior US officials say China considers North Korea a strategic asset and is reluctant to cut off resources to Pyongyang for fear of triggering a refugee wave.
McMaster said Trump, who has approved a variety of sanctions against North Korea while pressing China to do more, is at the beginning of his drive for Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons. Trump has warned he would “totally destroy” North Korea if it threatened the United States.
“I think we have to be a little patient here for at least a few months to see what more we and others can do, including China,” said McMaster. “I don’t think we need to reassess our strategy now. I think we have to give it a couple of months, a few months, and then see what adjustments we might need to make.”
Trump is expected to press Xi to reduce oil exports to North Korea to China, coal imports from Pyongyang and limit financial transactions. The Chinese leader is newly ascendant after consolidating power at a Communist Party congress.
