JapanesePrimeMinisterShinzoAbeyesterdayspokewithUSPresidentDonaldTrumpandagreedontheneedformoreactiononNorthKoreajusthoursaftertheUSAmbassadortotheUNNikkiHaleysaidWashingtonis“donetalkingaboutNorthKorea.”HaleysaidinastatementthatChinamustdecideifitiswillingtobackimposingstrongerUNsanctionsonNorthKoreaoverFridaynight’slong-rangemissiletest.AnynewUNSecurityCouncilresolution“thatdoesnotsignificantlyincreasetheinternationalpressureonNorthKoreaisofnovalue,”Haleysaid,addingthatJapanandSouthKoreaalsoneededtodomore.AbetoldreportersafterhisconversationwithTrumpthatrepeatedeffortsbytheinternationalcommunitytofindapeacefulsolutiontotheNorthKoreanissuehadyettobearfruitinthefaceofPyongyang’sunilateral“escalation.”AbeandTrumpdidnotdiscussmilitaryactionagainstNorthKorea,norwhatwouldconstitutethecrossingofa“redline,”JapaneseDeputyChiefCabinetspokesmanKoichiHagiudatoldreporters.JapaneseChiefCabinetSecretaryYoshihideSugasaidthetalkbetweenAbeandTrumplastedforabout50minutes.“TherolethatChinacanplayisextremelyimportant,”hetoldanewsconference.AfterNorthKorea’sannouncementofitsmissiletestonSaturday,TrumpsaidonTwitterthathewas“verydisappointed”inChinaandthatBeijingprofitsfromUStrade,buthaddone“nothing”fortheUSwithregardstoNorthKorea,somethinghewouldnotallowtocontinue.ChineseViceMinisterofCommerceQianKeming(錢克明)saidtherewasnolinkbetweentheNorthKoreaissueandChina-UStrade.“WethinktheNorthKoreanuclearissueandChina-UStradeareissuesthatareintwocompletelydifferentdomains,”Qiansaid.TheChineseMinistryofForeignAffairsinastatementsaidtheNorthKoreannuclearissuedidnotarisebecauseofChinaandthateveryoneneededtoworktogethertoseekaresolution.“Allpartiesshouldhaveacorrectunderstandingofthis,”itsaid,addingthattheessenceofSino-UStradewasmutuallybeneficial.State-runChinesetabloidtheGlobalTimesyesterdaysaidinaneditorialthatTrump’s“wrongtweet”wasofnohelp,andthathedidnotunderstandtheissues.“PyongyangisdeterminedtodevelopitsnuclearandmissileprogramanddoesnotcareaboutmilitarythreatsfromtheUSandSouthKorea.HowcouldChinesesanctionschangethesituation?”thepapersaid.SouthKoreanPresidentMoonJae-in,whoisonvacation,plannedtohaveatelephonecallwithTrumpsoon,aseniorofficialatthePresidentialBlueHousesaid.TheRussianMinistryofForeignAffairssaidinastatementthatattemptsbytheUSandotherstoshiftresponsibilityforthesituationontoChinaandRussiaarebaseless.