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McMaster: All options on table in regard to North Korea

Vice President Pence separately visited the demilitarized zone between the North and South and warned that the failed policy of “strategic patience” was coming to an end.

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USA national security adviser General H.R. McMaster also used familiar language on Sunday to describe North Korea’s “provocative and destabilising and threatening behaviour”, while leaving all options on the table as his team helps develop plans of action for the region.

The semi-annual U.S. Treasury currency report released on Friday did not name any major trading partner as a currency manipulator, although it seemed to leave open the option for action in the future. While, the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the chance that they were going to escalated the USA response ahead of Pence’s 10-day tour of Asia.

Harry Yen (顏輝煌), head of the local central bank’s foreign exchange department, said that the bank has established an effective communication channel with the U.S. Treasury and will express its opinions about the department’s concerns over the New Taiwan dollar and U.S. dollar exchange rate.

“And compared to USA bond yields, which have given up much of their gains after the election, US share prices, having gone through a limited correction, look vulnerable given potential developments in North Korea or the French election”, she said.

The Treasury left the criteria for manipulation unchanged at having a trade surplus with the United States above $20 billion; having a current-account surplus amounting to more than 3 percent of gross domestic product; repeated currency depreciating by buying foreign assets equivalent to 2 percent of output over the year.

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, the president’s son-in-law and daughter, have seen their influence in the White House continue to rise.

“We had good intelligence before the launch and good intelligence after the launch…”

Rather than insisting the United States must stop joint military exercises with South Korea, Wang made clear North Korea was just as much a belligerent party in the dispute.

“I explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem!”

We want to see North Korea abandon its reckless path of the development of nuclear weapons, and also its continual use and testing of ballistic missiles is unacceptable.

The recent Treasury report noted that while China had spent a decade deliberately buying and selling large amounts of its own currency on global markets to depreciate its value and make its exports more competitive, the country had turned around in recent months to make its currency appreciate in value.

Friendly relations with China is also crucial as Trump tries to tackle the troublesome North Korea.

Russian Federation is pressing for a diplomatic solution with North Korea.

The US has recently leaned on China – North Korea’s main ally – to apply pressure to Pyongyang to curtail its nuclear ambitions.

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National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster on Sunday said that President Donald Trump’s administration would prefer “to take action short of armed conflict” in response to North Korea’s military actions.

Treasury: No currency manipulation by trading partners