U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says "the United States has spoken enough about North Korea" in reaction to North Korea's latest missile launch. The State Department issued a terse statement from America's top diplomat acknowledging "yet another" launch and saying "We have no further comment."

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Republic. </s> Here's what Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, aka the nation's top diplomat, had to say about the latest provocation from North Korea:

"North Korea launched yet another intermediate range ballistic missile. The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment."

That's a total of 23 words, if you're counting. Twenty-three words that leave you more confused when you get to the end of them than when you started. Is Tillerson trying to talk tough? Or is he refusing to give North Korea the attention he thinks they're trying to grab in advance of the US-China meeting? Somewhere in between? Neither? Both?

The statement reads, to channel Winston Churchill, like a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. It's Ernest Hemingway but for complicated and delicate matters of foreign policy. It's, in a (hyphenated) word, a head-scratcher.

What we do know is that the Trump administration is taking an increasingly hard line to both North Korea's ongoing efforts to develop nuclear and ballistic weapons programs and China's willingness to constrain those efforts. "The clock has now run out, and all options are on the table," a senior White House official told reporters Tuesday night in a briefing with reporters ahead of Xi's visit. That sentiment echoes the President himself, who told the Financial Times in an interview that he was prepared to act to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions with or without China. "China has great influence over North Korea," Trump said in the interview. "And China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they won't ... If China is not going to solve North Korea, we will. That is all I am telling you." Viewed through that lens, Tilllerson's statement may be best understood as a sort of "the time for talking is over, the time for action is here" sentiment that is in keeping with the tough talk coming from Trump. But, Tillerson is the country's top diplomat -- the person charged with finding solutions that go beyond simple rhetoric to these thorniest of foreign policy challenges. And his statement -- such as it is -- offers zero guidance as to what the US response will be. Pyongyang wants Washington's acceptance as a nuclear power -- and to be dismissed in this way will be a blow, noted CNN's Paula Hancocks in Seoul. And two senior US officials tell CNN's Barbara Starr that the message shouldn't be interpreted as provocative. Instead, they say, it's a signal the State Department will no longer put out routine statements after every North Korean provocation or missile launch. But vagueness in diplomacy is a dangerous thing. Words matter. Misunderstandings can cause international incidents -- or worse. How will North Korea and China interpret Tillerson's comments? As a provocation? A dismissal? Something else entirely? That uncertainty is the point. Tillerson is the leading edge of America foreign policy. As such, his most important job is to ensure that other countries know exactly where the U.S. stands when a major international event -- like the on in North Korea -- occurs. His statement Tuesday night suggests he simply doesn't grasp just how much words matter. </s> ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday that the U.S. is receiving “potentially positive signals” from North Korea, but that the two countries are still "a long way" from direct negotiations about Pyongyang's nuclear program.

Speaking alongside Ethiopia's foreign minister during a press conference in Addis Ababa, Tillerson said: “I think as President Trump has indicated, there are potentially positive signals coming from North Korea by way of their intra-Korean dialogue.”

"In terms of direct talks with the United States... we're a long way from negotiations," said Tillerson, who cautioned that the first step should be "talks about talks."

"We just need to be very clear-eyed and realistic about it," he added.

Tillerson’s comments come after the South Korean president’s office said on Wednesday that the North “clearly stated” it is willing to hold talks on denuclearization with the U.S. Following a meeting between Kim Jong Un and envoys from Seoul on Monday, the South Korean representatives said the North would suspend nuclear tests while any talks were underway.

South Korea’s presidential national security director Chung Eui-yong also revealed that the rival neighbors had agreed to hold a landmark third summit meeting between Kim and South Korea’s president at a border village next month.

Tweeting on Tuesday about the intra-Korean talks, President Donald Trump lauded the “possible progress.”

“For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!” he added.

Secretary Tillerson will still be in Africa when the South Koreans brief the U.S. in more detail about their conversations with the North Koreans later this week. The White House will be assembling the team but it is unclear who will be attending from the State Department.

The administration still has not nominated an Ambassador to South Korea, with career diplomat Susan Thornton remaining in the position of acting Assistant Secretary for East Asia as she awaits confirmation. The U.S. envoy for North Korea policy Joseph Yun, who was the chief negotiator, quit last week. The State Department has yet to name a replacement.

During Thursday's press conference Tillerson also said that African countries should be careful not to forfeit their sovereignty when they accept loans from China, the continent's biggest trading partner.

Trump's Secretary of State is using his first diplomatic trip to Africa to bolster security alliances on a continent increasingly turning to Beijing for aid and trade.

The U.S. is the leading aid donor to Africa but China surpassed it as a trade partner in 2009.

Tillerson also dismissed reports he had rejected a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov while they are both in Africa as “silly.”

“If it doesn't work out here, he and I see each other often around the world and we have each other's telephone numbers and we do use them," he said.

Tillerson’s Africa visit comes just months after Trump described African nations as “shithole countries” during a White House meeting. </s> US secretary of state Rex Tillerson downplayed the threat from North Korea after Donald Trump’s ‘fire and fury’ comments prompted Pyongyang to claim it was examining plans to attack Guam, a US-held Pacific island
• Tillerson plays down North Korea threat as Trump boasts about nuclear arsenal </s> ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- While traveling in Africa, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson struck a cautious tone Thursday on the prospect of U.S.-North Korean negotiations. The top U.S. diplomat made it clear that massive bilateral breakthroughs were not to happen overnight.

"We are a long ways from negotiations," Tillerson said. "We need to be very clear-eyed and realistic about it. I think the first step, and I've said this before, is to have talks, to have some kind of talks about talks."

Tillerson has said he's still waiting to hear that North Korea is genuinely ready to talk. During a "60 Minutes" interview, he indicated that the message would be "explicit" when it does come.

On Thursday, while speaking at a press conference in Addis Ababa, he said the message from Pyongyang that would turn talks into negotiations would have to come in person.

"I don't know yet until we are able to meet ourselves face to face with representatives of North Korea whether the conditions are right to even begin thinking about negations," Tillerson said.

President Trump, who has not ruled out meeting with Jim Jong Un himself, has "indicated potentially positive signals" coming out of the intra-Korean dialogue, explained Tillerson. Mr. Trump has enthusiastically pressed that progress with North Korea is closer than it has been in the past.

"Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!," the president tweeted earlier this week.

Tillerson will not be present when South Korean officials brief the Trump administration on their talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this week. Instead, Tillerson will carry on with his five-country trip in Africa.

The State Department's top official for North Korean relations, Joe Yun, retired last week. He told CBS News that there were no policy differences "per se" between himself and the White House. Yet his departure came at a time when State Department officials continue to feel their expertise is being sidelined by the White House. There has been no announcement of Yun's replacement.

"We need to get it right. We need to make sure if there are talks it will lead to denuclearization. We need a whole-of-government approach," Yun told CBS News when discussing the policy approach to North Korea.

"Me. No. Nobody got that," Mr. Trump joked earlier this week when asked about the reason for North Korea's openness to talks. He added that the North Koreans appeared sincere in their efforts for talks due to aggressive sanctions, and credited the "great help we've been given from China." </s> VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson huddles Tuesday with nations that fought on America’s side in the Korean War, looking to increase economic pressure on North Korea over its nuclear weapons even as hopes rise for diplomacy.

The 20-nation gathering in Vancouver comes days after a mistaken missile alert caused panic on Hawaii, a stark reminder of the fears of conflict with the North.

The meeting is hosted by Tillerson and his Canadian counterpart, Chrystia Freeland.

It was called before the recent start of talks between North and South Korea, the first in two years. President Donald Trump has also signaled openness to talks under the right circumstances.

Officials will discuss sanctions, preventing the spread of weapons by North Korea, and diplomatic options. </s> US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will make his first visit to the United Nations later this month to chair a UN Security Council meeting on North Korea.

[UNITED NATIONS] US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will make his first visit to the United Nations later this month to chair a UN Security Council meeting on North Korea.

The April 28 meeting on non-proliferation and North Korea will be "timely" following a US-China summit this week, US Ambassador Nikki Haley told reporters Monday.

The United States holds the presidency of the Security Council in April, giving President Donald Trump's administration an opportunity to showcase its foreign policy priorities.

Mr Trump will hold his first summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Florida this week, with North Korea shaping up as a key priority for the US administration.

Washington has complained loudly that China is not taking action to rein in North Korea, which last year carried out two nuclear tests and more than 20 ballistic missile tests.

"The United States has seen China for 25-plus years say they are concerned about North Korea, but we haven't seen them act like they are concerned about North Korea," Ms Haley said.

"I think this administration wants to see them act and I think they are going to pressure them to do that."

Ms Haley described the US-China summit as "very, very important" to address the crisis over North Korea and that China had a key role to play to force Pyongyang to change course.

"The only one that North Korea is going to respond to is China," said Ms Haley.

Mr Tillerson's recent Asia tour focused on addressing the threat from North Korea's nuclear and ballistic programmes.

While at the United Nations, Mr Tillerson may meet with UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, who has been concerned about US moves to cut funding to the world body.

A UN spokesman said there were discussions on arranging the first face-to-face talks between the UN chief and Mr Tillerson, but that nothing had been scheduled yet. </s> The response of America’s chief diplomat to North Korea’s latest missile launch was an abrupt departure from the usual — which may be a turning point, analysts in Asia say.

The statement from U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson totalled 23 words: “North Korea launched yet another intermediate range ballistic missile. The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment.”

While Tillerson’s statement was unusually short and vague, experts in South Korea and Japan saw it as a sign of consistency on how the United States under President Donald Trump will deal with North Korea as it speeds up its nuclear weapon and missile developments.

North Korea with its missile launches probably wants to create attention and use it as leverage for concessions, but Tillerson with his statement has sent a stern message that the United States won’t be a party to it, South Korean experts said.

“It seems Tillerson purposefully issued a short statement to send a tough signal,” said Kim Sung-han, a professor at Seoul’s Korea University and a former South Korean deputy foreign minister. “He is making it clear that, no matter what North Korea does, the United States won’t commit to direct negotiations unless Pyongyang shows real willingness for disarmament.”

Bong Youngshik, a researcher at Yonsei University’s Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul, said Tillerson’s statement would have also been aimed at China ahead of President Xi Jinping’s first meeting with Trump later this week in Florida.

Trump is likely to urge China’s leader to take up stronger role in pressuring the North to abandon its nuclear ambitions, and Tillerson’s statement is a way of stressing it’s time for action on North Korea, not just talk, Bong said.

Tillerson also might stop making routine statements after every North Korean provocation or missile launch, Bong said.

“It is what it is,” Bong said. “There’s really no need for Tillerson to react every time when North Korea does something. The United States has moved on and is now trying to resolve problem through a larger scale, such as the summit with China shows.”

While Trump and his top policymakers continue their tough talk on the North Korean issue, it’s unclear such rhetoric would be enough to effectively influence North Korea and China, Pyongyang’s only major ally.

Every North Korean nuclear test and missile launch reminds the United States and its allies of the limited options they have on Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.

A military strike on the North’s nuclear or missile facilities risks triggering a devastating war that could quickly kill hundreds of thousands. The effect of further sanctions is questionable as North Korea puts the survival of its ruling elite before the wellbeing of its struggling populace and already is one of the most heavily penalized places on earth. Renewing negotiations with Pyongyang would require trust that it won’t pocket aid and renege on any promises.

Tillerson in a visit to China last month declared an end to the Obama administration’s “strategic patience” policy to wait out Pyongyang until it caves and decides to denuclearize, but the Trump administration has yet to reveal any meaningfully different approach.

Narushige Michishita, an expert from Tokyo’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, said Trump’s efforts to “sound scary” won’t work with Pyongyang and Beijing if he fails to back his words with action.

“The Trump administration’s credibility will be undermined if it fails,” he said.

 

 With files from Ken Moritsugu </s> WASHINGTON — North Korea’s government has communicated with the United States to say that leader Kim Jong Un is ready to discuss his nuclear weapons program with President Donald Trump, officials said Sunday, increasing the likelihood that the unprecedented summit will actually occur.

The confirmation from Pyongyang directly, rather than from third countries like South Korea, has created more confidence within President Trump’s administration about the wisdom of holding such a meeting, as U.S. officials make secretive preparations. The Trump administration has long said that if the North Koreans weren’t ready to discuss giving up their nuclear program, there was no reason for the two countries to hold negotiations.

President Trump took his own administration and other countries by surprise last month when he accepted an unusual offer from Kim to hold a meeting. The North had conveyed the invitation to a visiting delegation from South Korea, which in turn traveled to Washington and relayed the message to President Trump.

The president said yes to the meeting on the spot, even though the U.S. had not yet heard directly from North Korea about Kim’s intentions. The U.S. later heard from other countries including China, where Kim paid a rare visit, that the North was serious about the offer.

Still, North Korea’s government has not said anything publicly at all about a meeting with President Trump, and the lack of known contact between Pyongyang and Washington about the meeting has fueled further speculation about the seriousness of Kim’s offer.

A Trump administration official on Sunday said that the U.S. had “confirmed that Kim Jong Un is willing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” A second official said that confirmation had come through direct contact between American and North Korean officials.

Neither of the officials would say when or how the contact took place, nor in what location. The officials weren’t authorized to comment by name and demanded anonymity.

Previously, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had said there were at least two or three channels through which U.S. and North Korean officials communicate from time to time.

The Trump administration has not said where the meeting will place or whether a location has been determined, nor has an exact date been set. Initially, the White House said it expected the meeting to take place by the end of May. It’s unclear whether a date that early could be achieved or whether it might be delayed.

The contacts between Pyongyang and Washington come as President Trump’s new national security adviser, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, prepares to start work at the White House formally on Monday. Prior to being named to the post, Bolton had long expressed hawkish views about North Korea, even advocating a pre-emptive military strike.
United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issues a statement saying "The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment."