Abe, Trump agree to seek cooperation from China, Russia over North Korea

July 31, 2017

TOKYO- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump, in phone talks Monday morning, agreed to increase pressure on North Korea and to step up requests for cooperation from China and Russia , which have been cautious about imposing additional measures against Pyongyang. The phone talks, which lasted about 50 minutes, were held after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Friday, the second ICBM launch by the reclusive state, following the first one in early July. "The international community, including China and Russia , must increase pressure," Abe told reporters after the phone talks with Trump. "We completely agreed that further action must be taken." Abe told Trump that the threat from North Korea had increased a great deal both for Japan and the United States after the second ICBM. Japan can never tolerate such an act by Pyongyang, Abe added. Trump said he is very worried because the missile landed at a point extremely close to the Japanese archipelago. He added that the US commitment to the defense of Japan is unwavering. The White House said Trump conveyed to Abe the United States ' determination to use all of its capabilities to defend Japan and South Korea. Abe and Trump also agreed to discuss specific action for enhancing Japanese and US defense capabilities at a so-called two-plus-two security meeting of the two countries' foreign and defense ministers. Tokyo and Washington are making preparations to hold the next two-plus-two meeting in August. According to Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda, the subject of military action by the United States did not come up in the talks between Abe and Trump. To get a new sanctions resolution against North Korea adopted by the UN Security Council, Abe and Trump confirmed close cooperation by their countries and also with South Korea. In addition, the two leaders shared the view that the time has come for proper action to be taken to enhance the effectiveness of existing sanctions against Pyongyang. Abe and Trump discussed the North Korean issue for the first time since they held talks in Hamburg , Germany , on July 8. On Friday, Japan newly placed a Chinese bank with business ties with North Korea on the list of asset freeze targets as part of Japan 's own sanctions against Pyongyang , acting in concert with the United States to increase pressure. After the second ICBM launch by North Korea , Trump said he was "very disappointed" at China 's responses to the North Korean situation. Jiji Press