US, allies meet on North Korea but China absence looms
2018-01-17 09:16:21 source：Channelnewsasia
January 17, 2018
VANCOUVER -- The United States urged allies to escalate pressure on North Korea over its nuclear missile programme on Tuesday (Jan 16), despite a cautious tone from key US partner South Korea.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was joined by his hawkish Japanese counterpart at 20-nation talks in Vancouver in calling for tougher punitive measures against Pyongyang.
But South Korea, while publicly maintaining faith with US President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign, struck a markedly more optimistic tone, arguing that renewed North-South talks show sanctions are already working.
Key players China and Russia were not invited to the meeting of the powers that united under UN command to fight North Korea in the 1950-1963 war, and denounced the gathering as a Cold War throwback.
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