Kerry off to Asia to address maritime disputes, NKorea nukes

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung Se and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry agreed Sunday to cooperate with each other with an eye on possibly holding five-way talks with China, Japan and Russian Federation over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

Before he meets with leaders in Beijing, Kerry will address the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Laos, telling the 10 member nations to band together in dealing with disputes over the South China Sea.

Recent developments, including China’s construction of new artificial territories, landing of test flights, movement of an oil rig into a disputed zone and warnings against overflight of what it claims to be its territory, have raised tensions in the region.

But ASEAN unity has not always been possible as China wields great influence among some of its smaller neighbors, such as Cambodia. The Obama administration worries that it might behave as Cambodia did when it held the Asean chair in 2012 and was accused of obstructing consensus in the bloc over the South China Sea.

Kerry’s one-day stop for talks with senior officials marks a rare diplomatic visit.

The Secretary of State told reporters the removal of ordnance in Laos was on the agenda of his talks with Dr Thongloun. Vientiane, the capital, will in turn host Obama at an ASEAN meeting this summer, when he will become the first US president ever to visit the country.

“He is a party loyalist, old-time revolutionary and wily politician, who is not going to change course – or change anything, for that matter”, said Martin Stuart-Fox, a Laos historian and retired Australian professor.

Mr Kerry will seek to set an encouraging tone in Laos by discussing increased U.S. aid including more funding to dispose of unexploded United States ordnance from the Vietnam War.

VIENTIANE – US Secretary of State John Kerry began a visit to Asia on Sunday in which he plans to press China to add curbs on North Korea after its nuclear test, and to urge southeast Asia to show unity in response to Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea.

North Korea said on January 6 that it successfully tested a powerful nuclear bomb.

The U.S. has been pressing China, an economic lifeline to North Korea, to use its leverage to urge Pyongyang to stop what world leaders view as provocative action.

Nuclear experts say North Korea likely gained data and practical know-how from the test. They reject North Korea’s assertion that it detonated a hydrogen bomb. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.

Stay on topic – This helps keep the thread focused on the discussion at hand.

Share with Us – We’d love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article, and smart, constructive criticism.