Tag: diplomacy

North Korea returns to inter-Korean liaison office

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea has returned its staff to an inter-Korean liaison office, Seoul said Monday, just days after unilaterally withdrawing from the joint facility. The office in the Northern city of Kaesong was opened in September as the two Koreas knitted closer ties, but the North pulled its staff out last week amid a deadlock in talks between Washington and Pyongyang. The unification ministry said some of the North Korean […]

Singapore hopeful for China-backed Asia trade pact this year

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Singapore’s trade minister said Wednesday he was hopeful that an Asia-wide trade pact, which is backed by China and excludes the United States, could be sealed by the end of the year. On a visit to Washington, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said that a clearer picture would emerge on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in May after elections in four countries that are part of […]

All American diplomats have left Venezuela: Pompeo

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) –The United States has withdrawn all remaining diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Caracas as the crisis in Venezuela deepens, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday. “Today, all US diplomats remaining in Venezuela departed the country. I know it is a difficult moment for them,” he said in a statement. “They are fully dedicated to our mission of supporting the Venezuelan people’s aspirations to live in a democracy and build […]

Trump sees ‘very good chance’ of trade deal with China

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he sees a “very good chance” of reaching a trade deal with China but is in “no rush” to reach an agreement. “I think there’s a very good chance the deal will be made,” Trump said. “They want to make a deal. China wants to make a deal.” But he also said that he is “in no rush. I want the deal to be […]

US opposes incremental denuclearization of N. Korea: envoy

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A top US envoy said Monday Washington’s goal is the complete denuclearization of North Korea by the end of Donald Trump’s first term, insisting it will not settle for incremental disarmament. “We are not going to do denuclearization incrementally,” said Stephen Biegun, the special US envoy for North Korea. While stressing he was not bound by an artificial calendar, Biegun said the administration wanted to accomplish the complete and verified […]

Canada FM decries China halting canola shipments

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Ottawa’s foreign minister on Tuesday decried Beijing’s move to block a major Canadian canola exporter’s sales in China, the latest escalation in a burgeoning row between the two countries. Canada’s largest agricultural handler, Winnipeg-based Richardson International, had its license to ship canola to China revoked on March 1, which risks leaving Canadian farmers with a glut on their hands. “The situation with the Richardson company concerns me greatly,” said Foreign Minister Chrystia […]

South Korea’s Moon urges new US-North denuclearization talks

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged the US and North Korea to quickly resume denuclearization talks after their Hanoi summit last week ended without a deal. Moon, who has adopted a dovish approach to Pyongyang and brokered the US-North Korea talks process, urged his officials to find out what exactly had gone awry at the high-stakes meeting, and predicted a deal would ultimately be reached. “We hope […]

US, S. Korea to ‘discontinue’ major military exercise: US official

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US military and South Korea are planning to “discontinue” annual large-scale military exercises as President Donald Trump pursues efforts to improve ties with North Korea, a US official told AFP Friday. The comment from the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, came shortly after the conclusion of Trump’s second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, which ended without a formal agreement but with […]

Trump urges China to remove tariffs on US agricultural products

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Friday urged China to abolish tariffs on agricultural products imported from the United States — adding that trade talks between the rival powers were going well. “I have asked China to immediately remove all Tariffs on our agricultural products (including beef, pork, etc.),” the president wrote on Twitter. He said his request was based on the fact that negotiations with China were “moving along […]

South Korea’s Moon says ‘meaningful progress’ despite no-deal summit

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in insisted Friday the Hanoi summit between the North’s leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump had made a “meaningful progress”, despite it breaking up without a nuclear deal. “The two leaders had conversations at length, enhanced mutual understanding and built more trust,” Moon said in a speech commemorating the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Movement against Japanese colonial rule. Both North […]

Trump, Kim optimistic over nuclear talks

by Sebastian Smith US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiled, shook hands and dined Wednesday in Hanoi, expressing optimism that their highly personal brand of diplomacy will lead to a deal on the totalitarian state’s nuclear weapons. At the start of around two hours of talks and dinner at a luxury hotel in the Vietnamese capital, Trump predicted a “very successful” summit, now due to resume Thursday. The two-day get-together […]

Guaido ramps up pressure after deadly Venezuela border clashes

by Esteban Rojas with Rodrigo Almoncid in Cucuta International pressure mounted against Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro on Sunday, with Washington vowing to “take action” after opposition efforts to bring humanitarian aid into the country descended into bloody chaos. Self-declared interim president Juan Guaido called on the international community to consider “all measures to free” Venezuela after clashes at the border crossing left at least two people dead. Guaido announced he would participate in Monday’s Lima […]