The possibility of a new confrontation between Pyongyang and Washington hangs over meetings involving China, Japan and South Korea this week as speculation grows that North Korean actions could end an uneasy detente and upend recent diplomatic efforts.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping separately on Monday. The pair will then travel to the southwestern city of Chengdu for a trilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Though they are expected to discuss various economic matters, North Korea appears likely to dominate the agenda.
Pyongyang has grown increasingly frustrated that its halt of nuclear and long-range missile tests has not ended the crippling economic sanctions against it. It set a Dec. 31 deadline for the United States to make concessions, but Washington has been unmoved.