Trump: We’ll sell Japan weapons to shoot down Kim’s missiles
DONALD TRUMP has said that Japan will be able to shoot North Korean missiles “out of the sky” after it buys billions of dollars worth of American military equipment.
Directly linking trade and security issues, the US president spoke yesterday on the second day of his Asia visit following a Tokyo summit with his ally and new best political friend Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister.
In addition to repeating his mantra that the “era of strategic patience” with North Korea was over, Mr Trump also pressed Japan to increase its trade with the US and purchase more of its sophisticated military hardware.
Referring to North Korean missiles, Mr Trump told reporters: “He (Abe) will shoot them out of the sky when he completes the purchase of lots of additional military equipment from the United States. The prime minister is going to be purchasing massive amounts of military equipment, as he should. And we make the best military equipment by far.”
Mr Abe responded that his country was currently capable of intercepting missiles from North Korea “if necessary” and confirmed that he was looking into a potential US arms deal.
Mr Trump has made no secret of his hardline stance against North Korea due to its flagrant defiance of UN Security Council sanctions as it pursues its nuclear weapons programme.
Earlier, Mr Trump reportedly expressed his disbelief that Japan had not tapped into its “samurai” spirit to shoot down two North Korean missiles that flew over the country earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Pyongyang was quick to respond to his visit, with its state media accusing the president yesterday of driving tensions “to the extremes”, stating that “no one can predict when the lunatic old man of the White House, lost to senses, will start a nuclear war”.
Mr Trump arrived in Japan on Sunday on the first leg of his highly anticipated five-country Asia tour, which kicked off with a seemingly leisurely day of bonding with Mr Abe involving golf matches, swapping gifts and eating hamburgers. Day two, however, took on a more serious note. Trade emerged as one of the few areas of potential contention between the allies, with Mr Trump accusing Japan of unfair trading practices.
Addressing business leaders, Mr Trump said: “Right now our trade with Japan is not fair and it’s not open. But I know it will be soon.”
North Korea remained high on the agenda, with the president attending an emotional meeting with relatives of Japanese abducted by Pyongyang to train its spies.
Among them were the parents and twin brothers of Megumi Yokota, a 13-year-old kidnapped as she walked home 40 years ago.
Following the meeting, Mr Trump told reporters: “Perhaps the regime itself would send them back. I think it would be a tremendous signal if Kim Jong-un would send them back.”
Meanwhile, a brief moment of levity occurred as Mr Abe and Mr Trump delicately spooned fish food into a pond of koi carp in Tokyo’s Akasaka Palace – before apparently running out of patience as both dumped the contents of their fish food boxes into the water.