ຮອງປະທານາທິບໍດີສະຫະລັດ ທ່ານ Mike Pence ໄດ້ໄປເຖິງຍີ່ປຸ່ນ ໃນວັນອັງຄານ
ມື້ນີ້ ເພື່ອສົນທະນາກ່ຽວກັບຄວາມເຄັ່ງຕຶງໃນພາກພື້ນທີ່ນັບມື້ເພີ້ມທະວີຂຶ້ນ ເນື່ອງຈາກ
ມີການ ນາບຂູ່ທາງອາວຸດນິວເຄລຍຂອງເກົາຫລີເໜືອແລະການພົວພັນການຄ້າ ຍ້ອນ
ວ່າສະຫະລັດ ຖອນໂຕອອກຈາກ ການເປັນພາຄີຂ້າມມະຫາສະໝຸດ ຫລື TPP ນັ້ນ.
ທ່ານ Pence ໄດ້ພົບປະກັບທ່ານນາຍົກ Shinzo Abe ໃນການຮັບປະທານອາຫານ
ທ່ຽງ ທີ່ທັງສອງທ່ານໄດ້ເນັ້ນໃສ່ ບັນຫາຄວາມໝັ້ນຄົງ ກ່ອນການພົບປະກັບທ່ານ Taro
Aso ຮອງນາຍົກລັດຖະມົນຕີກ່ຽວກັບດ້ານເສດຖະກິດ.
ເໝືອນດັ່ງທີ່ທ່ານໄດ້ເຮັດຢູ່ເກົາຫລີໃຕ້, ທ່ານຮອງປະທານາທິບໍດີ ໄດ້ໃຫ້ການຮັບຮອງ
ແກ່ຍີ່ປຸ່ນກ່ຽວກັບການຕັດສິນໃຈອັນແນ້ວແນ່ຂອງຊາວອາເມຣິກັນ ທີ່ຈະຂັດຂວາງບໍ່ໃຫ້ຄວາມທະເຍີທະຍານທາງດ້ານອາວຸດນີວເຄລຍແລະລູກສອນໄຟຂອງເກົາຫລີເໜືອ
ສໍາເລັດຜົນໄດ້.
ທ່ານ Pence ໄດ້ເນັ້ນຢໍ້າອີກວ່າ "ຍຸກສະໄໝຂອງຍຸດທະສາດແຫ່ງຄວາມອົດທົນ ໄດ້
ໝົດໄປແລ້ວ ໃນຂະນະທີ່ທາງເລືອກທຸກຢ່າງສາມາດນຳໃຊ້ໄດ້," ຊຶ່ງລວມທັງ ຄວາມ
ເປັນໄປໄດ້ທີ່ຈະໃຊ້ກໍາລັງທະຫານ.
ທ່ານ Pence ກ່າວຕໍ່ທ່ານ Abe ວ່າ "ຄືກັນກັບທີ່ປະທານາທິບໍດີສະຫະລັດ ທ່ານ
ດໍໂນລ ທຣໍາ ຈະເວົ້າດ້ວຍໂຕທ່ານເອງ ຖ້າຫາກທ່ານຢູ່ທີ່ນີ້, ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຂໍເວົ້າຢ່າງຈະ
ແຈ້ງ ຕໍ່ທ່ານ ທ່ານນາຍົກ ແລະຕໍ່ປະຊາຊົນທັງໝົດໃນຍີ່ປຸ່ນ, ພວກເຮົາມີຄວາມກຽມພ້ອມ 100 ເປີເຊັນ."
ການທົດລອງລູກສອນໄຟຂີປະນາວຸດຂອງເກົາຫລີເໜືອຫລາຍໆຄັ້ງ ໃນປີກາຍນີ້
ແມ່ນລ້ວນແລ້ວແຕ່ຍິງມາທາງປະເທດຍີ່ປຸ່ນທັງນັ້ນ.
ອີງຕາມທ່ານ Koichi Hagiuda, ຮອງເລຂາທິການຫ້ອງການລັດຖະບານຍີ່ປຸ່ນ, ຜູ້ນໍາ
ທັງສອງໄດ້ເຫັນບົດບາດສໍາຄັນຂອງຈີນ ໃນການທີ່ຈະໂອລົມກັບພັນທະມິດທີ່ເພິ່ງພາ
ອາໄສຕົນທາງດ້ານເສດຖະກິດ ໃນນະຄອນພຽງຢາງ ແລະຕ້ອງໄດ້ມີການຊັກຊວນ
ໃຫ້ການນໍາ ຢູ່ໃນນະຄອນປັກກິ່ງ ໃຫ້ມີບົດບາດຫລາຍຂຶ້ນໃນເລື່ອງນີ້.
ທ່ານນາຍົກຂອງຍີ່ປຸ່ນໄດ້ກ່າວຢໍ້າເຖິງການສະໜັບສະໜຸນຕໍ່ນະໂຍບາຍຂອງທ່ານທຣໍາ
ທີ່ຈະ ກົດກັນເພີ່ມຂຶ້ນກວ່າເກົ່າທາງດ້ານເສດຖະກິດ ແລະການທູດ ພ້ອມດ້ວຍການທະ
ຫານທີ່ເຂັ້ມ ແຂງ.
ທ່ານ Abe ກ່າວວ່າ "ແນ່ນອນພວກເຮົາຄວນຊອກຫາວິທີທາງແກ້ໄຂບັນຫາດັ່ງກ່າວ
ຢ່າງສັນຕິ ແຕ່ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າ ການສົນທະນາ ເພື່ອຈະໄດ້ສົນທະນາກັນຕໍ່ໆໄປອີກນັ້ນ
ແມ່ນບໍ່ມີຄວາມໝາຍຫຍັງ. ມັນຈໍາເປັນທີ່ພວກເຮົາຕ້ອງໄດ້ກົດດັນໃຫ້ເກົາຫລີເໜືອໃຫ້
ມີການສົນທະນາທີ່ຈິງຈັງກັບພວກ.”
ອ່ານຂ່າວນີ້ຕໍ່ເປັນພາສາອັງກິດ
S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Japan Tuesday to discuss rising regional tensions over the North Korea nuclear threat and trade relations in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP.)
Pence met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for lunch where they focused on security issues before meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso for economic discussions.
As he did in South Korea, the vice president reassured Japan of American resolve to rein in North Korea's nuclear and missile ambitions. Pence stressed again that "The era of strategic patience is over while all options are on the table," including the possible use of military force.
"As the (U.S.) President (Donald Trump) himself would say if he was here, let me be clear, to you Mr. Prime Minister and to all of people in Japan, we are with you 100 percent," Pence said to Abe.
North Korea's repeated ballistic missile tests in the last year have all been fired in the direction of Japan.
The two leaders underscored China's important role in dealing with its economically dependent ally in Pyongyang, and the need to persuade the leadership in Beijing to take on a bigger role, according to Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda.
The Japanese prime minister reiterated his support for Trump's policy to back up increased economic and diplomatic efforts with a stronger defense posture.
"Of course we should seek a peaceful settlement of the issue, although I think dialogue for the sake of dialogue is meaningless. It is necessary for us to exercise pressure against North Korea to engage in serious dialogue," said Abe.
Japan trade
Tokyo is the second stop on the vice president's 10-day tour of Asia. In addition to regional security issues, Pence is in the region to reassure friends and allies that President Trump is committed to a robust bilateral trade deal with Asia, after pulling out of TPP that was to include the U.S., Japan and ten other Pacific Rim countries, that together accounted for 40 percent of the world economy.
"The United States of America is determined to reach out to our partners around the world to at least begin to explore the possibility of expanded economic opportunities including trade on a bilateral basis," said Vice President Pence at a joint news conference in Tokyo with Deputy Prime Minister Aso.
Bilateral deals, Pence said, allow countries to foster balanced trade on equal footing more than multilateral deals that opponents say have disadvantaged U.S. industries and cost American jobs
Japan's reported $69 billion trade surplus with the United States last year has been a source of contention for the U.S. Trump has in the past complained that Japan keeps its currency artificially low, though a Treasury Department report last week did not label Japan a currency manipulator.
Pence's meeting with Aso began a trade dialogue framework that Trump and Abe initiated at a Washington summit in February, soon after Trump took office.
The two sides agreed in the upcoming year to focus on more balanced trade and currency issues with the long-term goal of developing a bilateral free trade agreement.
South Korea trade
Before leaving South Korea Tuesday the vice president addressed business leaders in Seoul where he praised the security alliance as unwavering, unshakable and ironclad but said the bilateral economic relationship is in need of repair.
"Despite the strong economic ties between the United States and South Korea, we have to be honest about where our trade relationship is falling short," Pence said.
The South Korea/U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) that took effect in 2012 was the largest trade deal implemented during the administration of former President Barack Obama. Since it was implemented the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea has more than doubled. U.S. exports to South Korea fell by $1.2 billion, while U.S. imports from South Korea grew by more than $13 billion. In 2016, the surplus measured at $23.2 billion, according to U.S. official data.
A recent United States Trade Representative (USTR) Trade Policy Agenda report criticized the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea saying, "This is not the outcome the American people expected from that agreement."
The vice president reiterated concerns voiced by the American business community that South Korea has used non-tariff related environmental and inspection regulations to undermine the FTA.
"That's the hard truth of it. And our businesses continue to face too many barriers to entry, which tilts the playing field against American workers and Americans growth," he said.
America First
Pence said the U.S. will seek to renegotiate some terms of the trade agreement with South Korea to give American companies increased and equitable market access.
"We will pursue trade that is both free and fair. And that will be true in all of our trade relationships, including KORUS. We are reviewing all of our trade agreements across the world to insure that they benefit our economy as much as our trading partners," Pence said.
U.S. President Donald Trump campaigned on a platform of economic nationalism that he called "America First." He promised to overhaul trade agreements that he said hurt U.S. jobs. After taking office he immediately withdrew from the multi-lateral Trans Pacific Partnership
The Trump administration has also indicated it intends to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, and a U.S. trade agreement with Central American countries as well.
KORUS support
While business leaders in Seoul have been critical of the South Korean practice of imposing non-tariff related trade barriers, especially in the auto industry that account for 80 percent of the U.S. trade deficit, they are overall supportive of the KORUS FTA.
James Kim, chairman of both GM Korea and the American Chamber of Commerce Korea has said that direct investments from Korean companies like Samsung and Hyundai, have created more than 45,000 American jobs.
((BRIAN PADDEN, VOA NEWS, SEOUL))
