TOKYO — Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Tuesday asked for the cooperation of the International Atomic Energy Agency to prevent the escalation of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program from threatening security in East Asia.   “We have a lot of issues to tackle together with the IAEA,” including Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, Kono said at a meeting with IAEA chief….Read more

NHK reported this morning that Italian Foreign Minister Alfano said during an interview with an Italian paper that Italy will expel the North Korean ambassador to Italy as a countermeasure against North Korea’s nuclear and missile development. The foreign minister also reportedly said that Italy will maintain its diplomatic relations with North Korea by saying: “I think it’s useful to….Read more

It is important to diplomatically resolve the North Korean nuclear and missile problem after maximizing such pressure as sanctions on the reclusive nation. Strongly worded remarks that could trigger an accidental clash or an unforeseen situation should be restrained.   There has been no end to the exchange of sharp words between the United States and North Korea, following a….Read more

All Saturday morning dailies took up a White House announcement on Friday regarding President Trump’s planned trip to Asia from Nov. 3 through 14, noting that the U.S. leader will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines for bilateral talks and to participate in two regional summits. The papers wrote that the President’s Asia tour is aimed at….Read more

All Sunday papers reported from Beijing on Secretary of State Tillerson’s meetings on Saturday with Chinese President Xi, State Counsellor Yang, and Foreign Minister Wang, speculating that the top U.S. diplomat asked them to step up the pressure on North Korea. Asahi conjectured that the Secretary probably urged the Chinese leaders to restrict petroleum exports to North Korea further, suspecting….Read more

Sunday’s Sankei and Yomiuri took up South Korean media reports claiming that several missiles have recently been transported to an unidentified location from a weapons factory near Pyongyang. The paper speculated that this may mean that North Korea is preparing to fire ballistic missiles in the near future, possibly around Oct. 10 when the DPRK will celebrate the 72nd anniversary….Read more

Saturday morning’s Nikkei wrote that arrangements are being made for Foreign Minister Kono to travel to Beijing in November for talks with his counterpart Wang, projecting that they are likely to discuss Prime Minister Abe’s desire to convene a trilateral summit with South Korea in Japan later this year and reciprocal visits to Japan and China next year by President….Read more

NHK reported that during his four-day visit to China through Sunday, Secretary of State Tillerson will be meeting with President Xi, State Counsellor Yang, and Foreign Minister Wang, quoting the Secretary as telling the press in Washington on Thursday that he plans to talk to them about the agenda for President Trump’s upcoming visit to China. He went on to….Read more

NHK reported online on press remarks this morning by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga, who disclosed that the GOJ has conveyed to the ROK government its concern that a district authority in Seoul recently designated the comfort woman statue in front of the Japanese Embassy a “public object.” Calling the move “extremely regrettable,” the government spokesman stressed that it runs counter….Read more

TOKYO/BEIJING — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang exchanged congratulatory messages on Friday to mark the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties, in the first such communication in a decade, amid increasing signs of rapprochement between the Asian powers.Abe and Li both expressed hope for a “stable” development of relations, despite some differences over….Read more