U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hold a joint news conference in Tokyo in November 2017. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
The Asahi Shimbun: Japan shocked to be left out in cold by Trump on North Korea
The U.S. president trumpeted during a March 9 phone call with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he had "good news."
It was anything but.
The U.S. leader's announcement of a planned historic summit meeting by the end of May with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un caught Japan off-guard and dismayed as Tokyo had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Washington on maintaining maximum pressure on Pyongyang to rein in its military provocations.
"It never occurred to us that such a decision would be made at this time," said a high-ranking Foreign Ministry official, describing the shockwaves reverberating in Tokyo.
Read more ....
Update #1: Trump-Kim summit fans Japan fears of being sidelined on North Korea (Reuters)
Update #2: Japan fears being left out in cold as US-North Korea ties thaw (The Telegraph)
WNU Editor: The Japanese hate surprises .... even though President Trump has a different take .... Trump says Japan ‘very happy’ with North Korea talks that could bring ‘greatest deal’ (Japan Times). Japan's response so far has been only this .... Japan pledges to pay '£2m for nuclear inspections in North Korea in bid to help end its atomic programme' (The Independent), but I expect more tangible input from Japan when Japanese PM Abe meets President trump next month to discuss the North Korean issue.
