All Sunday papers ran inside-page reports on the trilateral talks between Deputy Secretary of State Blinken, Vice Foreign Minister Saiki, and First Vice Foreign Minister Lim in Tokyo on Saturday, saying that they agreed to closely cooperate in seeking a strong and effective UN Security Council resolution on North Korea over its recent nuclear test. The officials also agreed to urge China to support the adoption of a tough resolution against Pyongyang.

Asahi wrote that D/S Blinken reiterated the Obama administration’s basic position that North Korea should take concrete actions toward denuclearization by referring to Iran’s agreement to reduce its nuclear programs that has led to the expected lifting of sanctions on Tehran. Yomiuri and Sankei quoted the Deputy Secretary as expressing the hope that China will exercise leadership at the UNSC. Nikkei quoted him as saying that in this region no challenge is greater than the one posed by North Korea and that China has a profound stake in the stability of the region as do the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.