Tillerson: America First means separating US policy, values

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the US was preparing new sanctions against North Korea if Pyongyang takes steps that warrant new sanctions. He said the USA will take action against countries failing to fully implement existing United Nations penalties on doing business with Pyongyang.

“We have been also consulting with the USA and other partners on ways to take strong, effective responses if North Korea commits an additional nuclear test, intercontinental ballistic missile launch or other strategic provocation”.

Under Philippine chairmanship this year, the 10-member regional bloc released a statement weakening its resistance against Chinese activities in the South China Sea.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the United States must not condition its national security efforts on other countries adopting US values.

Until recently, many officials of the Donald Trump administration stressed that all options were on the table, seen as a reminder that the United States was considering military measures.

Said Mr Joshua Stanton, a Washington-based attorney who has assisted the US Congress in drafting sanctions legislation: “North Korea is much more connected to the worldwide economy than is widely assumed”.

The March 23 letter North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho said the situation on the Korean Peninsula was “reaching the brink of war” because of Washington’s actions. ABC News ran the following headline on its website: “Tillerson: Pushing human rights overseas “creates obstacles” to US interests”.

North Korea’s efforts to develop an arsenal of nuclear-armed missiles capable of reaching U.S. cities are the “greatest threat” faced by the United States. Under tight conditions, North Korea may still export $400.87 million (374 million euros) or 7.5 million metric tons of coal per year, whichever is less.

It’s a safe bet that North Korea’s marching military did not learn its moves overseas: United Nations sanctions ban foreign security forces from training the country’s army, police or paramilitary units.

Human rights groups and some lawmakers have raised concerns about what they’ve described as a USA turn away from an emphasis on human rights and basic freedoms…

Tillerson also shared details for a plan to rebuild trust with Russian Federation by getting President Vladimir Putin to broker a cease-fire in Syria.

“In some circumstances, if you condition our national security efforts on someone adopting our values, we probably can’t achieve our national security goals”, Tillerson said in a speech to State Department employees meant to outline to what “America First” means in diplomatic terms. “We’ll sit down when they’re ready to sit down under the right terms”. He said China has an “important role” to play, and ASEAN has not really yet discussed reducing the presence of North Korean diplomatic presence in their countries.

The erosion of cooperation and trust between the premier nuclear powers is unsafe and unsustainable, Tillerson said, and he pledged to try to improve it. We do not pursue human rights exclusively out of the goodness of our hearts.

“I know change like this is really stressful for a lot of people, there is nothing easy about this and I don’t want to diminish the challenges this presents”, Tillerson told a crowded room of employees Wednesday.

It’s not clear whether Tillerson’s outreach will have much of an impact on those who are considering leaving, particularly those at the beginning or end of their careers. He also pressured China by saying secondary boycotts will be enforced.