Asia Pacific Oct 13, 2020

White House moves forward on three arms sales to Taiwan

The move in the run-up to the Nov. 3 U.S. election is likely to anger China, which considers Taiwan a wayward province.

Asia Pacific / Politics Mar 30, 2019

With a piece of paper, Trump called on Kim to hand over all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons

On the day that their talks in Hanoi collapsed last month, U.S. President Donald Trump handed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a piece of paper that included a blunt call for the transfer of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and bomb fuel to the United ...

Asia Pacific / Politics Sep 1, 2018

Trump to skip summits with Asian leaders in Singapore and Papua New Guinea; Pence to attend

U.S. President Donald Trump will skip summits with Asian leaders in Singapore and Papua New Guinea in November, sending Vice President Mike Pence in his place, the White House said on Friday, an announcement that will raise questions about his commitment to a regional ...

Asia Pacific | ANALYSIS Sep 27, 2017

North Korea's bark may be worse than bite in threat to shoot down U.S. bombers

North Korea has threatened to shoot down U.S. bombers flying near the Korean Peninsula, but it would have difficulty matching its words with action given aging air defense systems mostly dating to the Cold War, military experts said. In intensifying rhetoric between the United States ...

Asia Pacific | FOCUS Aug 25, 2017

U.S. possesses a powerful — but risky — tool to halt North Korea's nuclear progress

The U.S. government is turning the screws on companies that do business with North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions but has stopped short of taking the more aggressive — and riskier — move of targeting Chinese banks that facilitate Pyongyang's trade in arms ...

Asia Pacific Jul 22, 2017

U.S. presses Myanmar to cease military ties with North Korea

Myanmar's military has maintained ties with North Korea, even though the civilian-led government denies any cooperation, and the Trump administration is pressing for a complete break-off of remaining links, current and former U.S. officials said. Washington made its case to Myanmar's de facto leader, Nobel ...

Asia Pacific Jul 14, 2017

New U.S. sanctions eyed on Chinese firms with North Korea ties: officials

Frustrated that China has not done more to rein in North Korea, the Trump administration could impose new sanctions on small Chinese banks and other firms doing business with Pyongyang within weeks, two senior U.S. officials said. The U.S. measures would initially hit Chinese entities ...

Asia Pacific | ANALYSIS Apr 4, 2017

When Trump and Xi meet, will it mean conciliation or collision?

When U.S. President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, their summit will be marked not only by deep policy divisions but a clash of personalities between America's brash "tweeter-in-chief" and Beijing's cautious, calculating leader. They may have one thing in common: their ...

Asia Pacific / Politics Mar 21, 2017

Trump administration weighing broad sanctions on North Korea, top U.S. official says

The Trump administration is considering sweeping sanctions aimed at cutting North Korea off from the global financial system as part of a broad review of measures to counter Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threat, a senior U.S. official said Monday. The sanctions would be part of ...