Trump thinks North Korea will keep word on missile tests
US president tweets that China and Japan are pleased he’s pursuing diplomatic solution rather than ‘going with the ominous alternative”
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WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said Saturday he believes North Korea will abide by its pledge to suspend missile tests while he prepares for a summit by May with its leader, Kim Jong Un.
Trump noted in a tweet that North Korea has refrained from such tests since November, and said Kim “has promised not to do so through our meetings.”
“I believe they will honor that commitment,” the president wrote.
Trump shocked many inside and outside his administration Thursday when he told South Korean officials, who had just returned from talks in North Korea, that he would be willing to accept Kim’s meeting invitation.
Earlier Saturday, Trump tweeted that China was pleased that he was pursuing a diplomatic solution rather than “going with the ominous alternative,” and that Japan is “very enthusiastic” about the agreed-to talks.
North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017 and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honor that commitment!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 10, 2018
In the first hours after hearing that North Korea’s leader wanted to meet with me to talk denuclearization and that missile launches will end, the press was startled & amazed.They couldn’t believe it. But by the following morning the news became FAKE.They said so what, who cares!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 10, 2018
Trump has spoken with both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe since Thursday’s announcement, and said Xi “appreciates that the US is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative.”
Trump had previously threatened North Korea with “fire and fury like the world has never seen.”
Trump also said China, North Korea’s most important ally and trading partner, “continues to be helpful!” Trump has repeatedly urged China to do more to pressure North Korea into abandoning its nuclear program.
Spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, who is very enthusiastic about talks with North Korea. Also discussing opening up Japan to much better trade with the U.S. Currently have a massive $100 Billion Trade Deficit. Not fair or sustainable. It will all work out!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 10, 2018
Chinese President XI JINPING and I spoke at length about the meeting with KIM JONG UN of North Korea. President XI told me he appreciates that the U.S. is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative. China continues to be helpful!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 10, 2018
Trump said in another tweet Saturday that Abe is “is very enthusiastic about talks with North Korea,” and that the two discussed how to narrow the US-Japan trade deficit. Trump wrote, “It will all work out!”
Trump misspelled Xi’s first name as “Xinping” in the first version of his tweet about China but later corrected it.
The Times of Israel Community.