Jesse Johnson - The Japan Times

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Mar 13, 2018

U.S. aircraft carrier and MSDF helicopter destroyer conduct joint exercises in disputed South China Sea

The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group has kicked off bilateral exercises with the Maritime Self-Defense Force, including one of the largest vessels in Japan's fleet, in the disputed South China Sea, the U.S. Navy said Tuesday.

ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS

Mar 12, 2018

Trump-Kim summit expectations high, but North Korea unlikely to part with its 'treasured nuclear sword' any time soon

After years of failed attempts by the United States and others, is U.S. President Donald Trump the man who can strip North Korea of its nuclear weapons and bring lasting peace to the Korean Peninsula?

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Mar 11, 2018

Trump says Japan 'very happy' with North Korea talks that could bring 'greatest deal'

U.S. President Donald Trump voiced confidence Saturday that his agreement to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was the right decision, saying that Japan is "very happy with what I'm doing" and that the talks could result in "the greatest deal for the world" that eases nuclear tensions.

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Mar 10, 2018

U.S. seeks 'concrete actions' from North Korea before talks

The White House said Friday that President Donald Trump will not meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unless Pyongyang takes "concrete and verifiable actions," stoking confusion as the administration faced criticism for agreeing to talks while receiving few, if any, tangible benefits in return.

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Mar 9, 2018

Trump agrees to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on denuclearization

U.S. President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by the end of May — a stunning and unexpected announcement that comes as the two historic adversaries dial back threats of nuclear annihilation and attempt to reach a deal on the issue of scrapping the North's...

ASIA PACIFIC

Mar 7, 2018

Trump optimistic, U.S. officials cautious amid signs of progress with North Korea on talks over relinquishing its nukes

U.S. President Donald signaled an openness to talks with North Korea on Tuesday, citing "possible progress" after the regime told visiting South Korean envoys that it was prepared to halt tests of nuclear weapons and missiles and would put scrapping its atomic arsenal on the table for discussion —...

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Mar 6, 2018

Two Koreas agree to leaders' summit as North voices openness to denuclearization

In stunning and unexpected announcement late Tuesday, Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to a deal that could see South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet for a rare leaders' summit at the two countries' heavily armed border next month.

ASIA PACIFIC

Mar 5, 2018

China announces 8.1% defense budget boost from 2017 as Xi pursues 'world-class' force

China announced Monday that it will boost its defense budget 8.1 percent this year from 2017, a larger increase than in the two previous years as leader Xi Jinping seeks to turn the country's military into a "world-class" force that can venture farther from its shores.

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Feb 27, 2018

U.S. State Department's point man on North Korea to step down this week

In a stunning development that will leave an already depleted U.S. diplomatic corps in even further disarray, the State Department's top diplomat in charge of North Korea policy has announced that he will step down from his post at the end of the week.

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Feb 27, 2018

Trump says U.S. can talk with North Korea but 'only under right conditions'

U.S. President Donald Trump has weighed in on the prospect of talks with nuclear-armed North Korea, saying Monday that such a move would come "only under the right conditions," a refrain that came just a day after a top official from the North said for the second time that Pyongyang was open to dialogue...

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS

Feb 26, 2018

Xi's move to erase term limits puts Chinese president on collision course with Japan's Abe

China has set the stage for President Xi Jinping to stay in his post indefinitely in a position some have compared to that of an “emperor” — a move that could put the Asian powerhouse on a collision course with Japan and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

ASIA PACIFIC

Feb 26, 2018

South Korea's Moon urges U.S. and North to lower threshold for talks

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ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Feb 25, 2018

China to scrap term limits for president, paving way for Xi to stay at helm

In a move likely to pave the way for Chinese leader Xi Jinping to stay at the country's helm beyond his second five-year term, the ruling Communist Party's Central Committee has proposed to remove term limits for the president and vice president.

JAPAN

Feb 22, 2018

Scenarios abound for Japan getting dragged into a U.S.-China conflict: expert

Could a few tiny islets in the East China Sea help light the fire that sparks a wider conflagration in East Asia? What about preventive strikes on North Korean nuclear and missile sites? A collision near one of Beijing's man-made islands in the South China Sea?

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Feb 21, 2018

North Koreans dropped out of meeting with Pence at last minute, U.S. says

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was prepared to hold a historic meeting with top North Korean officials during his visit to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea earlier this month but was rebuffed by the North at the last minute, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

ASIA PACIFIC

Feb 20, 2018

South Korea to announce plan for joint military exercises before April

In a move that is likely to enrage nuclear-armed North Korea, the South Korean Defense Ministry said Tuesday that by the end of next month it will announce plans for postponed joint military exercises with the United States.

ASIA PACIFIC

Feb 19, 2018

North Korea 'fully ready for both dialogue and war,' state media says

North Korea is "fully ready for both dialogue and war" and prepared to respond to any U.S. "provocation by prompt counterstrike," state-run media said Monday as the Winter Olympics continued in South Korea.

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Feb 19, 2018

John Kelly and Secret Service agent scuffled with Chinese security officials over nuclear 'football' in Beijing, report claims

White House chief of staff John Kelly, a U.S. Secret Service agent and the U.S. military aide in charge of the so-called nuclear football were involved in a skirmish with Chinese security officials during President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing in November, a report said Sunday.

ASIA PACIFIC

Feb 14, 2018

Chinese newspaper says Britain is 'trying to validate its existence and grab attention' with South China Sea patrol

Chinese state-run media has blasted London for its plans to send a warship through the disputed South China Sea next month, saying that "by acting tough against China, Britain's Ministry of Defence is trying to validate its existence and grab attention."

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Feb 12, 2018

Pence raises prospect of U.S. talks with North Korea amid pressure campaign

In what could amount to a significant recalibration of its stance toward nuclear-armed North Korea, the United States has said it is open to talks with the isolated country, Vice President Mike Pence said in an interview published Sunday.

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