KYODO NEWS - Nov 6, 2017 - 20:40 | All

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump renewed their pledge Monday to apply the maximum possible pressure on North Korea to compel it to end its nuclear and ballistic missile development programs.

After their summit in Tokyo -- part of Trump's five-nation tour of Asia, his first in the region since his inauguration in January -- the U.S. leader maintained his tough line on North Korea while Abe announced Japan will expand its unilateral sanctions, freezing the assets of 35 more individuals and entities.

At a joint press conference at the Akasaka Palace state guesthouse, Trump said the United States "stands with the people of Japan against the North Korean menace."

Abe said he and Trump affirmed that "Japan and the United States are with each other 100 percent" in their approach to North Korea and that now is no time for dialogue.

"We fully support the Trump administration's stance that all options are on the table," Abe said. Trump administration officials have made clear that military action remains one of those options, but Abe reiterated that neither he nor Trump desire conflict.

Trump, who has been seeking bilateral deals with trade partners, also mentioned at the press conference that he expects Japan to buy "massive amounts" of U.S.-made defense equipment while stressing his concern about his country's goods trade deficit with Japan.

In response, Abe said Japan buys most of its defense equipment from the United States and plans to improve its defense capabilities in light of the regional security environment, without going into details about trade.

Pyongyang conducted its sixth nuclear test and launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile across Japan into the Pacific Ocean in September before entering a period of relative inactivity.

The leaders also agreed on the importance of China playing a greater role in addressing the North Korea issue.

During his tour of Asia, Trump is set to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose government has advocated for the resumption of dialogue with Pyongyang.

According to a Japanese government spokesman, Trump explained to Abe his administration's current thinking on whether to return North Korea to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

North Korea was removed from the State Department list in 2008 under then-President George W. Bush in light of its agreement to a series of steps to verify its nuclear activities.

Immediately before their joint press conference, Abe and Trump met relatives of some of the Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, including the mother of prominent abductee Megumi Yokota, whom Trump mentioned in his address at the U.N. General Assembly in September.

Trump vowed to work with Abe to try to bring the abductees back to Japan, saying at the press conference it would "be a tremendous signal if (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un would send them back."

Abe said he and Trump also discussed their plans for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum leaders' summit and the East Asia Summit, which they will both attend.

"We agreed that the maintenance and strengthening of a free and open maritime order is critically important for peace and stability in this region, and that Japan and the United States will strengthen our cooperation toward a free and open Indo-Pacific," Abe said.

On bilateral trade, a sticking point in Japan-U.S. relations, Trump said his administration seeks "equal and reliable access for American exports to Japan's markets in order to eliminate our chronic trade imbalances and deficits with Japan."

Having been unable to convince Trump not to pull the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, the Abe administration is now trying to discourage negotiations toward a bilateral free trade agreement that would likely disadvantage Japan.

The Japanese spokesman said neither leader mentioned a bilateral FTA, and their discussion on trade centered on agreeing to allow a dialogue process helmed by Japanese Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence to progress. It had its second round of talks in October.

On the South China Sea, in which China and some Association of Southeast Asian Nations members have active territorial disputes, the White House said in a statement that Trump discussed with Abe their "shared concerns over militarization of South China Sea outposts."

The White House said Trump emphasized the importance of respect for international law in the South China Sea, "including freedom of navigation and overflight," a view shared by the Abe administration.

Ahead of his summit with Abe, Trump met Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

After Trump arrived in Japan on Sunday morning, he and Abe spent the day playing golf and dining together.

He will leave Japan on Tuesday for South Korea, before traveling to China and then to Vietnam and the Philippines for the regional gatherings.

(Pool Photo)

Immediately before their joint press conference, Abe and Trump met relatives of some of the Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, including the mother of prominent abductee Megumi Yokota, whom Trump mentioned in his address at the U.N. General Assembly in September.

Calling the abduction issue "a tremendous disgrace," Trump vowed to work with Abe to try to bring the abductees back to Japan. At the press conference, he said it "would be a tremendous signal if (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un would send them back."

Abe said he and Trump also discussed their plans for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum leaders' summit and the East Asia Summit, which they will both attend.

"We agreed that the maintenance and strengthening of a free and open maritime order is critically important for peace and stability in this region, and that Japan and the United States will strengthen our cooperation toward a free and open Indo-Pacific," Abe said.

Abe has often stressed the importance of "free and open" seas to obliquely voice caution about China's rising regional influence.

On bilateral trade, a sticking point in Japan-U.S. relations, Trump said he is committed to achieving a "fair, free and reciprocal trading relationship" with Japan.

"We seek equal and reliable access for American exports to Japan's markets in order to eliminate our chronic trade imbalances and deficits with Japan, (and) we're working on that," he said.

Having been unable to convince Trump not to pull the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, the Abe administration is now trying to discourage negotiations toward a bilateral free trade agreement.

Such a deal would almost certainly require Tokyo to make more concessions to Washington than it did in the TPP negotiations.

Abe said he and Trump had agreed to continue to hold discussions to enliven bilateral trade and investment and strengthen cooperation in fields like energy and infrastructure.

He also said they agreed to work together to "lead the creation of high trade and investment standards in the Asia-Pacific region."

Abe and Trump agreed in February to delegate economic and trade issues to a dialogue helmed by Japanese Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, which has held two rounds of talks to date.

Ahead of his summit with Abe, Trump met Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

After Trump arrived in Japan on Sunday morning, he and Abe spent the day playing golf and dining together.

He will leave Japan on Tuesday for South Korea, before traveling to China and then to Vietnam and the Philippines for the regional gatherings.