A US official said the Trump administration had been expecting a North Korean “provocation” soon after taking office and will consider a full range of options in response, but these would be calibrated to show US resolve while avoiding escalation. The new administration is also likely to step up pressure on China to rein in North Korea, reflecting Trump’s previously stated view that Beijing has not done enough on this front, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “This was no surprise,” the official said. “The North Korean leader likes to draw attention at times like this.”
The latest test comes a day after Trump held a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and also follows Trump’s phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “I just want everybody to understand, and fully know, that the United States of America is behind Japan, our great ally, 100%,” Trump told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida, speaking alongside Abe. He made no further comments. Abe called the launch “absolutely intolerable” and said North Korea must comply with UN Security Council resolutions.
