Pence: I don't see direct talks with N. Korea right now

INTERVIEW.
>> WE'RE IN JAPAN ON THE "USS
RONALD REAGAN."
I WANT TO ASK ABOUT SOMETHING
MAKING HEADLINES IN THE UNITED
STATES AND HERE RIGHT NOW.
LAST WEEK, THE U.S. MILITARY AND
ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED ANOTHER
SHIP "USS CARL VINSON" WAS
HEADED TO THE KOREAN PENINSULA.
NOW WE LEARN IT WASN'T.
IT WAS GOING THE OTHER
DIRECTION.
SO, WERE THESE MISLEADING
COMMENTS DELIBERATE?
>> OH, I THINK NOT.
WHICH HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY
COMMITMENT OF U.S. FORCES IN THE
REGION.
THE "CARL VINSON" AND THAT
BATTLE GROUP ARE BE DEPLOYED TO
THE SEA OF JAPAN AND WILL LIKELY
ARRIVE HERE IN THE COMING WEEKS.
BUT THE PRESENCE OF U.S. FORCES
AS I SAW FIRST HAND IN SOUTH
KOREA, MORE THAN 30,000
PERSONNEL.
HERE IN JAPAN, MORE THAN 50,000
PERSONNEL ABOARD THE "USS RONALD
REAGAN" AND SEEING THE SOLDIERS,
AIRMEN AND MARINES GIVES ME
CONFIDENCE THAT THE UNITED
STATES PRESENCE IN THE ASIAN
PACIFIC IS STRONG AND UNDER
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S LEADERSHIP IT
WILL BE STRONGER STILL.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT NORTH KOREA
AND WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN SAYING IN
THE REGION.
THE STRATEGY OF THE U.S. WILL BE
TO REACH OUT TO ALLIES IN THE
REGION AND BEST PATH TO DIALOGUE
IS THROUGH FAMILY OF NATIONS.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THAT SOUNDS
A LOT LIKE THE SIX-PARTY TALKS
BACK IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION
THAT FAILED.
HOW IS YOUR POLICY DIFFERENT?
>> I THINK THAT THE PRESIDENT
HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT
AFTER MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF
FAILED DIALOGUE AND WHAT WAS
CALLED STRATEGIC PATIENCE THAT
THE PATIENCE OF THE UNITED
STATES AND OUR ALLIES IN THE
REGION HAS REALLY RUN OUT.
THAT WE ARE NOW GOING TO BEGIN
TO TAKE SUCH MEASURES,
DIPLOMATICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY,
TO ISOLATE THE REGIME IN
PYONGYANG.
THE ENCOURAGING NEWS, DANA, FOR
ANYONE LOOKING ON IS THAT
BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
LEADERSHIP -- WE'RE NOT ONLY
SEEING AL LIES IN SOUTH KOREA AD
JAPAN AND WIDER WORLD.
CHINA HAS TAKEN STEPS NOW TO
ECONOMICALLY ISOLATE NORTH
KOREA.
GIVEN THE FACT THAT CHINA
REPRESENTS MORE THAN 80% OF THE
EXPORTS FROM NORTH KOREA IS
ENORMOUSLY IMPORTANT TO THE
ECONOMIC MARKETPLACE.
WE BELIEVE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
STEP FORWARD.
>> I WANT TO TRY TO DRILL DOWN
ON THE DIPLOMATIC SIDE OF THIS
MORE.
WILL THE U.S. ACTUALLY SIT DOWN
IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, FOR
DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE
NORTH KOREANS?
>> WHETHER YOU GO BACK TO THE
FRAMEWORK OF THE 1990s --
>> NOT THAT.
LOOKING FORWARD.
WHATEVER VERSION.
WILL THERE BE ANY NEGOTIATING?
WHETHER IT IS DIRECT?
COULD YOU SEE A DIRECT
NEGOTIATION WITH THE U.S. AND
NORTH KOREA?
>> NOT AT THIS TIME.
THE POLICY THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
ARTICULATED IS TO MARSHAL
SUPPORT OF THE ALLIES IN THE
REGION IN JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA.
NATIONS AROUND THE WORLD AND
CHINA WHO HAVE TAKEN THE
POSITION NOW FOR DECADES OF A
NUCLEAR-FLEE AREA.
>> IS THERE A MOVE OR THOUGHT AS
PART OF THE DIPLOMATIC STEPS ARE
YOU TALKING ABOUT TO GET THE
NATIONS LIKE SOUTH KOREA AND
JAPAN BACK TO THE TABLE WITH
NORTH KOREA AND THE U.S.?
IS THAT SOMETHING DOABLE AND
MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT'S
VISION FOR THIS IS VERY STRAIGHT
FORWARD.
THAT IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO
MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE REGIME IN
PYONGYANG THAT THE DAYS OF
BROKEN PROMISES AND THE DAYS OF
RUNNING OUT THE CLOCK ON
AGREEMENTS WITH THE WIDER WORLD
ARE OVER.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT TWO NUCLEAR
TESTS IN THE LAST YEAR ALONE.
YOU LOOK AT UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER
OF BALLISTIC MISSILE LAUNCHES.
THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT NORTH
KOREA REPRESENTS THE MOST
DANGEROUS AND MOST IMMEDIATE
THREAT IN THE ASIAN PACIFIC AND
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS DETERMINED TO
CONFRONT THAT THREAT BY
MARSHALING UNPRECEDENTED
COOPERATION OF THE ALLIES IN THE
REGION OF CHINA AND THE WORLD.
>> YOU HAVE RHETORICAL STRATEGY
DOWN AND SO DOES THE PRESIDENT.
IS IT RHETORICAL STRATEGY IN
SEARCH OF PRACTICAL DIPLOMATIC
APPROACH?
>> I THINK IT'S EMINENTLY
PRACTICAL.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT'S DIRECT
ENGAGEMENT WITH PRESIDENT XI OF
CHINA AND NOW YOU HAVE SEEN
CHINA TURNING BACK COAL
SHIPMENTS FROM NORTH KOREA.
MAKING CHANGES IN THE ABILITY OF
PEOPLE TO TRAVEL BY AIR FROM
PYONGYANG INTO CHINA.
AND OTHER MEASURES THAT THEY MAY
WELL TAKE IN THE FUTURE
DEMONSTRATES THE HANDS ON
DIPLOMACY THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
HAS BROUGHT TO THIS.
THAT'S WHAT IT WILL TAKE.
>> DID THE MISSILE TEST THAT THE
NORTH KOREANS LAUNCHED WHILEHE E
REGION FAILED BECAUSE U.S. USED
ELECTRONIC OR CYBER TECHNOLOGY
TO SABOTAGE IT?
>> I CAN'T COMMENT ON THE
ELECTRONIC OR TECHNICAL
CAPABILITIES OF OUR MILITARY.
WE CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE THAT WAS
A FAILED MISSILE TEST AND FAILED
ALMOST IMMEDIATELY JUST LIKE
ANOTHER RECENT TEST.
>> BUT THE U.S. DIDN'T HAVE
ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT?
>> WELL, I CAN'T COMMENT EITHER
WAY, AS YOU KNOW, DANA.
WHAT I CAN SAY, FAILED OR NOT,
IT WAS ONE MORE PROVOCATION BY A
REGIME THAT CONTINUES

Pence: I don't see direct talks with N. Korea right now

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