U.S. asks Southeast Asia to minimize N. Korea ties

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday pressed Southeast Asian governments to ensure “leak-proof” enforcement of sanctions against North Korea and to prevent the nation’s diplomats from conducting business that could benefit its weapons programs.

Tillerson called on foreign ministers of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations to “minimize” their diplomatic relations with Pyongyang “so that North Korea does not gain benefit from its diplomatic channels for its nuclear and missile aspirations,” senior State Department official Patrick Murphy said after Thursday’s meeting at the department.

That was the latest salvo in the push by the administration of President Donald Trump to get the international community to intensify diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea to dismantle its nuclear-weapons program before it can pose a direct threat to the American mainland.

Although China, North Korea’s traditional ally and main trading partner, is viewed as the key lever of international influence, Southeast Asian nations have diplomatic relationships with Pyongyang and small-scale trade ties and have sometimes served as conduits for North Korean activities that violate U.N. sanctions. A recent U.N. report found that North Korean diplomats often play key roles in commercial activities banned under Security Council resolutions aimed at starving it of technology and revenue for its nuclear and missile programs.

“North Korea in many countries has a diplomatic presence that clearly exceeds their diplomatic needs,” Murphy told reporters.

He said, without providing specifics, that “considerable common ground was identified” between the U.S. and the Southeast Asian bloc on North Korea. He said that the February assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s estranged brother at a Malaysian airport, using a chemical agent, illustrated the threat it posed “in the heart of [the Southeast Asian bloc].” He said this has galvanized concern in the region.

Southeast Asia’s top diplomats have sought better ties with Washington as uncertainty rises over the Trump administration’s trade policy and its dealings with China.

Eight foreign ministers and two other senior officials from the 10 nations traveled across the world for the meeting with Tillerson. They want a sustained U.S. presence in the region — which President Barack Obama promised them as part of his “pivot” to Asia — to counter China’s military assertiveness and growing economic dominance over its neighbors.

However, long-standing U.S. allies like the Philippines and Thailand have moved closer to China, complicating U.S. hopes for unity on issues such as control over the potentially resource-rich South China Sea, which is claimed virtually in its entirety by China. The Philippines, which is currently chairman of the bloc, has dialed back its once hard-line stance over China’s assertive behavior and island-building.

Murphy said the U.S. remains committed to freedom of navigation and commerce in the South China Sea. He said Tillerson had urged all “relevant parties” to stop militarization, construction and reclamation there while the bloc and China conduct talks aimed at framing a binding code of conduct to prevent conflict.

Trump has feted Chinese President Xi Jinping as he pushes for more cooperation against North Korea. Southeast Asian nations generally welcome cordial ties between the two powers but worry about whether Washington’s willingness to stand up for their claims.

China claims on the South China Sea conflict with territorial claims of four Southeast Asian nations.