Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY
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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 21 april 2017
Nervous about China, Southeast Asia gets Trump’s attention
MAT PENNINGTON will attend the annual sum-
KEN THOMAS mit of the Association of
Associated Press Southeast Asian Nations, or
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) ASEAN, in November.
— Southeast Asia, a focus Washington is “taking steps
of past U.S. presidents, has to strengthen our partner-
been overlooked thus far ship with ASEAN and deep-
for the Trump administra- en our friendship,” Pence
tion, but Vice President said, resolving to strength-
Mike Pence’s visit to In- en economic ties and se-
donesia Thursday marked curity cooperation in com-
a sign of change and he bating terrorism and in the
announced the president disputed South China Sea.
would follow him to the re- This year marks ASEAN’s
gion later this year. 50th anniversary. Novem-
Anxious Southeast Asian ber’s gathering is being
governments are looking held in the Philippines,
for America’s commitment setting the stage for an
to counter China’s rising encounter between two
economic and military unconventional lead-
clout. Vietnam’s foreign ers: Trump and the host,
minister is in Washington Rodrigo Duterte, the Phil-
his week, and the top ippine president who is
diplomats of the region’s U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, left, talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, during their sometimes likened to the
10-nation bloc are expect- meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, April 20, 2017. Pence is currently on American leader because
ed to arrive en masse in a 10-day trip in Asia. of his outspokenness and
early May, amid concerns (Beawiharta/Pool Photo via AP) unashamed populism.
their interests were being U.S.-Philippine relations are
crowded out as President strained over Duterte’s war
Donald Trump prioritizes on drugs, and his brash
Mideast counterterrorism, efforts to forge closer
traditional alliances in Eu- ties with China. President
rope and North Korea’s Barack Obama scrapped
nuclear and missile threats. a planned meeting last
Pence’s stop in Jakarta on fall after Duterte cursed
a 10-day swing through the him. Before that, Obama
Asia-Pacific, meeting with engaged Southeast Asia
Indonesian President Joko more than any U.S. presi-
“Jokowi” Widodo, sends a dent since the aftermath
message that Trump’s inter- of the Vietnam War and
ests in Asia extend beyond made ASEAN summits a vir-
North Korea and the mas- tual fixture in his diplomatic
sive U.S. trade imbalance calendar.
with China. It is the first to Among Obama’s foreign
Southeast Asia by a top policy accomplishments:
administration official, and Promoting democratic re-
Pence announced Trump form in Myanmar.q
AP: UN strongly condemns North
Korean missile launch after delay
EDITH M. LEDERER provocative defiance” of
Associated Press six U.N. sanctions resolu-
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — tions.
The U.N. Security Council The U.N.’s most powerful
threatened new sanctions body demanded an im-
against North Korea Thurs- mediate end to the North’s
day in a strongly-worded nuclear and missile tests
condemnation of its lat- and threatened to take
est missile launch after the “further significant mea-
U.S. agreed to a Russian sures” — U.N. code for new
request to include a call sanctions.
for “dialogue” with Pyong- The U.S. had accused Rus-
yang. sia of blocking a council
The council said North Ko- statement on Wednesday
rea’s illegal missile and nu- that China, North Korea’s
clear activities “are greatly closest ally, had agreed
increasing tension in the re- to by insisting on includ-
gion and beyond” and ex- ing language from previ-
pressed “utmost concern” ous council statements
at its “highly destabilizing calling for “dialogue” with
behavior and flagrant and Pyongyang.q
