Tokyo and Washington agreed to seek the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula by "coordinating bilateral efforts completely", as the two countries' leaders held telephone talks on Monday evening in response to Pyongyang's recent "strike drill" test involving short-range projectiles.
According to Japan's Kyodo News Agency, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump shared information about the Saturday morning drill. Kyodo said the conversation was held at the request of Abe.
Speaking to reporters after the phone conversation, Abe said: "President Trump and I agreed completely on every aspect of how we should deal with North Korea (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea)."
"We are on the same page completely that we will seek to have the agreement between the United States and North Korea on denuclearization implemented swiftly," Abe added.
Without giving specific information about the content, Trump touted the talks with Abe as "a very good conversation" in a tweet.
The White House said the two leaders "reaffirmed unity" on how to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK, and also discussed Trump's state visit to Japan in late May as well as regional and bilateral trade issues, Reuters reported.
The talks happened as the DPRK conducted multiple rocket launches and a tactical weapons test on Saturday, raising concern that it was escalating provocations at a time the nuclear negotiations are deadlocked.
Trump expressed optimism that he can make a deal with Kim on Saturday, saying in a tweet that he is "with Kim" and believed the DPRK leader will do nothing to interfere with or end "the great economic potential" of his country.
Shi Yongming, a Beijing-based foreign affairs researcher, said while Japan would welcome an agreement to denuclearize the DPRK, there is also a concern in Tokyo that Washington will cut a deal to eliminate long-range missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, while ignoring the shorter-range ones that threaten Japan.
After speaking with Trump, Abe also expressed his willingness to meet with Kim. In a departure from his previous position, however, Abe said there would be no preconditions set for him to meet with Kim. Shi said that represents a shift in position for the prime minister, who previously said he would talk with Kim only when progress was made on the alleged "abduction issue".
"Abe's remarks showcase that Tokyo is now anxious about being left out on the Korean Peninsula issues. But for many years Japan only reiterated its own security concern and the 1970s and 1980s 'abduction issues', suggesting that Abe's real intention is actually to use the peninsula negotiation as leverage to strengthen his domestic support," Shi added.
