North Korea condemned at East Asia Summit

November 15, 2017

Manila- Meeting in Manila on Tuesday, leaders of many of the 18 East Asia Summit member countries, including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, condemned North Korea for continuing nuclear and ballistic missile provocations.

North Korea is persistently pursuing nuclear and missile development, Abe said, stressing the need for the international community to maximize pressure on the reclusive country in order to make it give up the programs.

Saying that no meaningful dialogue can be held with Pyongyang, Abe, as measures to step up pressure on North Korea, cited a review of diplomatic relations with, restrictions on trade with and limits on travel to and from the country, and the surveillance of its diplomatic missions.

Abe expressed hopes that China and Russia, both close to North Korea, especially will play a major role.

The East Asia Summit members other than Japan, China and Russia are South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, the United States and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations--Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore Thailand and Vietnam.

Among other participating leaders, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called for a complete halt to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

A draft of a chairman's statement, which will be released after the East Asia Summit, says that the leaders condemn North Korea's ongoing development of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear and chemical weapons, and ballistic missile technologies.

The draft also strongly urges North Korea to immediately and fully comply with all relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

According to Japanese government officials, most East Asia Summit members took up the nuclear and missile issues at the meeting.

Meanwhile, Abe said that there is no time to lose to solve the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese citizens decades ago. The draft statement emphasizes the importance of addressing humanitarian concerns of the international community, including the abduction issue.

The leaders also exchanged views on the situation in the South China Sea, where China is boosting its military presence.

Abe called for a peaceful solution to the dispute in the sea based on international law.

China's Xinhua state-run news agency quoted Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as saying at the East Asia Summit that China is more interested than any other country in the world in safeguarding peace, stability and navigation freedom in the South China Sea.

Some ASEAN leaders showed a reconciliatory stance toward China. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that China and ASEAN made progress in their relations this year.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson represented the United States at the East Asia Summit on behalf of President Donald Trump, who left home just before the start of the meeting. The summit began about two hours behind schedule, as a series of ASEAN-related meetings earlier in the day took longer than planned. Jiji Press