North Korea has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of United Nations sanctions and has said it has developed a missile that can strike the U.S. mainland. His meetings in Indonesia and Australia from April 20-23, by contrast, will focus on clarifying Washington's positions on regional trade and South China Sea security, while smoothing over earlier bumps in relations (in Australia's case) and offering increased defense support both for maritime and counterterrorism activities (in Indonesia's case).
The administration "believes the most productive pathway forward is dialogue among the family of nations that can isolate and pressure North Korea into abandoning permanently and dismantling" its nuclear and missile programmes, he said.
The UK has urged North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to stop "these belligerent acts and comply with United Nations resolutions", but No 10 refused to be drawn on reports that Prime Minister Theresa May has privately urged Mr Trump not to launch air strikes on North Korea.
There are fears a misstep by the North or US President Donald Trump could causes disaster.
In turn, Pence told Abe the United States understands the severe security situation facing Japan and is behind its ally "100 percent".
Shortly after, in the wake of North Korea's missile test and the resultant growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, China banned imports of Chinese coal for the remainder of the year.
For its part, China made a plea for a return to negotiations.
Earlier on Tuesday North Korea accused the United States of bringing the Korean Peninsula into "a risky situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment". It is his first trip to Asia as vice president. Two days after his return to Beijing, North Korea launched the rocket, widely viewed as a ballistic missile test in disguise, further ratcheting up tensions on the Korean peninsula. As March wound down, Pyongyang once again went back to its engine tests - technology that could possibly be used in an eventual ICBM.
Trump began the month by declaring, on April 2, that the USA would be willing to go it alone to restrain North Korea's nuclear weapons program should China fail to change the situation. As the two leaders sat down to steak and pan-seared sole at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump made the decision to pull the trigger on a missile strike in Syria - the biggest military action of his presidency and a declaration of intent for Pyongyang.
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North Korea could react to a potential U.S. strike by targeting South Korea or Japan, and officials in both countries have been ill at ease with the more bellicose language deployed by President Donald Trump's administration.
Shortly after, North Korea issued a forceful response to the deployment of a U.S. naval strike group, including the 97,000-ton aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, to the region April 10, saying it would counter "reckless acts of aggression" with "whatever methods the USA wants to take". Also on April 13, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the country may already have the capability to deliver missiles equipped with sarin nerve agent.
But John Schilling from the 38 North monitoring group said the failure was indicative of the test of a new and hitherto unknown system being developed by Kim Jong-Un's regime.
Pence's visit came after Pyeongyang's military parade during which the country exhibited what seems to be ballistic missiles.
"If the United States is reckless enough to use military means it would mean from that very day, an all out war".
The following day, April 16, another attempted missile launch by the Kim regime failed, USA and South Korean defense officials told CNN.
"If the United States dares opt for a military action... the DPRK is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the Americans", Kim told a news conference, using the abbreviation of the country's official name.
Seoul, Moscow - Just hours after US Vice President Mike Pence declared that the era of strategic patience was over; US President Donald Trump took a moment at the White House Easter egg roll Monday to deliver a rather harsh message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.
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