Pence issues warning to Pyongyang

The US will not relent until it achieves its objective of ensuring the Korean peninsula is free of nuclear weapons, Vice-President Mike Pence said while visiting Japan.

After meetings with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other leaders, Mr Pence told reporters President Trump was confident economic and diplomatic pressure has a chance of compelling North Korea to cooperate.

The Trump administration has signalled a more forceful US stance toward North Korea’s recent missile tests and threats, including a warning from President Trump that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has “gotta behave”.

After meeting with Mr Abe, Mr Pence held talks with Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso on a new US-Japan “economic dialogue”.

The new forum for trade talks was launched by President Trump and Mr Abe during the Japanese leader’s visit to the US in February.

In part, it is meant to take the place of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the regional trade pact that Mr Trump withdrew from shortly after taking office.

Mr Pence and Mr Aso said they believed the dialogue could yield opportunities to create new jobs on both sides and to fortify the economic aspects of the alliance.

“We would like to seek the best shape and forum for our bilateral relationship,” Mr Pence said.

He said President Trump is certain that negotiating trade deals with individual countries was the best way to ensure they yield “win-win” situations for both sides.

The talks on Tuesday did not delve into sector-by-sector issues, such as car exports.