US show of force
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Senator urges Trump to negotiate with Kim Jong Un
Markey to Trump: Negotiate with Kim Jong Un
Story highlights
- Markey suggests the US should agree to direct talks with North Korea in exchange for China's commitment to drastically escalate sanctions
- Agreeing to negotiate directly with North Korea would signal a drastic shift from President Barack Obama's policy
Washington (CNN)Sen.
Edward Markey is calling on President Donald Trump to engage in direct
negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as part of a proposed
joint effort with China to reduce North Korea's nuclear threat.
The
Massachusetts Democrat's plan, outlined in a letter that was sent to
Trump on the eve of his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping,
suggests that the US should agree to direct talks with North Korea in
exchange for China's commitment to drastically escalate sanctions
against Pyongyang if they fail to negotiate in good faith.
"This
coordinated initiative could force North Korea to make real
demilitarization concessions, while providing a win for both China and
the United States," Markey wrote, adding that China has unsuccessfully
urged the US to engage North Korea directly for years.
Rather
than continue its tough talk on North Korea, Markey told CNN's "New
Day" on Thursday that Trump should ask Xi "to tighten the screws" with
economic sanctions.
"But in
return, the United States must do something that the Chinese want us to
do, which is to engage in direct negotiations with Kim," he said.
What will be discussed when Trump and Xi meet? 04:04
Agreeing
to negotiate directly with North Korea would signal a drastic shift
from former President Barack Obama's policy in dealing with the
provocative nation.
But according to one White House official, Trump is not ruling anything out when it comes to dealing with Pyongyang.
"The
clock has now run out and all options are on the table," an official
told CNN on Tuesday, pointing to the failure of successive
administrations' efforts to negotiate an end to North Korea's nuclear
program.
Tensions between the US and North Korea continue to escalate as US officials consider the best way forward.
Trump, Xi meet to rekindle relationship 02:08
North
Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea off the Korean Peninsula
earlier this week, the latest in a series of recent test firings.
In
response, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson only offered a 23-word
statement: "North Korea launched yet another intermediate range
ballistic missile. The United States has spoken enough about North
Korea. We have no further comment."
Even before the missile test, North Korea's nuclear program was expected to be an important talking point between Xi and Trump.
The
US has been pushing China to put pressure on North Korea to stop its
nuclear program and missile testing, but Trump said in an interview
published Sunday with the Financial Times that the US would be prepared
to act alone to stop North Korea.
Obama
warned Trump before he took office that the rogue nation's nuclear
program would present him with the most worrisome global challenge.
Trump, in the transition period, requested more detailed information
about the country's ambitions from the intelligence officials who
delivered his initial briefings.
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