American’s detention an act of ‘flailing’ N.Korea leader, says United States ambassador

With the threat of a nuclear test in North Korea looming and another US citizen reportedly detained there, China’s President Xi Jinping is urging President Trump to avoid escalating the situation.

The South Korean military was monitoring the situation and “firmly maintaining readiness”, it said.

“The United States should not run amok and should consider carefully any catastrophic effect from its foolish military provocative act”, the commentary said.

On Sunday state media said North Korea’s forces were “combat-ready to sink” USA aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which the U.S. says is due to arrive off the Korean peninsula “within days“.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced it would be sending the USS Vinson, an aircraft carrier, to the Korean Peninsula, after U.S. officials said they anticipated a fresh round of nuclear tests and missile launches.

The conversations between Trump and two of his counterparts in Asia (where it was Monday morning) took place as a US Navy strike force, led by the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, is approaching the Korean peninsula.

The USS Michigan nuclear submarine arrived in South Korea on Tuesday “during a regularly scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific“, according to a statement issued by the US Pacific Fleet.

The latest meeting involves Kim Hong-kyun, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs at the foreign ministry, and his United States and Japanese counterparts, Joseph Yun and Kenji Kanasugi.

The meeting follows a meeting the US President held with ambassadors from United Nations member states on the security council on Monday where he emphasised US resolve to stop North Korea’s progress.

Meanwhile, reports emerged that North Korea had detained a USA citizen, bringing to three the number of Americans being held in the isolated country.

Mr Trump was critical of China in his election campaign but he has in recent days praised its efforts to rein in what he called the “menace of North Korea”. It did not elaborate.

Haley said the U.S.is working with China to pressure North Korea on the missile and nuclear testing and other issues, including the detention over the weekend of a US citizen, bringing to three the number of Americans now being held there.

Secretary of State Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats will attend the meeting.

“The United States [is] introducing in South Korea, on the Korean Peninsula, the world’s biggest hotspot, huge nuclear strategic assets, seriously threatening the peace and security of the peninsula and pushing it to the brink of war“, Kim told reporters.

The tenor of North Korean state media lends some credence to that last claim.

Kishida also said he plans to attend a U.N. Security Council meeting to be held in NY on Friday that will focus on how to denuclearize North Korea.

Representatives from the three countries met in Tokyo Tuesday, where they said all options – beyond military action – are being considered against North Korea.

Trump yesterday urged UN Security Council ambassadors to consider stronger sanctions against Pyongyang, and United States senators will be briefed on North Korea at the White House tomorrow.

Vice President Mike Pence last week said “the era of strategic patience is over” regarding USA policy toward North Korea, as it continues its missile program and nuclear-weapons tests.

“I think the president steps in and decides what’s going to happen”, Haley concluded.

“They are at once perilously overestimating their own strength and underestimating the hazards they are brewing for themselves”, it said.

“We need to issue peaceful and rational sounds”, Wang said, according to a statement issued by China’s Foreign Ministry. The nuclear-powered submarine is built to carry and launch ballistic missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles.