Trump to speak with China, Japan leaders on North Korea

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump was set to speak by telephone with the leaders of China and Japan in talks likely to be dominated by North Korea’s nuclear drive and the threats posed by its belligerent leadership.

The Trump administration has been growing increasingly exasperated with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s regime, which has staged a barrage of missile tests in recent months.

Trump had been pinning his hopes on China to bring pressure to bear on Pyongyang, but declared last week that their efforts had failed. He has presented sanctions as the best way to proceed with the hermit state, opting for that approach over dialogue with the regime.

Trump will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping at 8.45pm (0045 GMT Monday) and with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at 8pm.

During talks with South Korean leader Moon Jae-In – who has pushed for a policy of engagement with Pyongyang – on Friday, Trump called for a “determined response” to the North. But the pair failed to map out a joint strategy on how to respond to North Korean threats.