HAMBURG: Wrapping up his second European tour, President Donald Trump searched for consensus with Asian allies Saturday on how to counter the 鈥渕enace鈥� of North Korea after its test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
鈥淪omething has to be done about it,鈥� Trump said as he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a separate meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump said the two were tackling 鈥渢he problem and menace of North Korea.鈥�
The White House said after the meeting with Abe that the US was 鈥減repared to use the full range of capabilities鈥� in defense of Japan. Trump and Abe committed, the White House said, 鈥渢o redoubling their efforts to bring all nations together to show North Korea that there are consequences for its threatening and unlawful actions.鈥�
The Trump administration has tried to press Beijing to rein in North Korea, a major trading partner of China, and halt Kim Jong Un鈥檚 development of nuclear weapons before they can threaten US territory. Trump has voiced his frustration in recent days that China hasn鈥檛 done more, suggesting he may take steps of his own.
But during his meeting, Trump told Xi, 鈥淚 appreciate the things that you have done relative to the very substantial problem that we all face in North Korea.鈥�
Xi said during the meeting that 鈥渟ensitive issues remain鈥� in the China-US relationship and more work needed to be done. But he said he had built with Trump a 鈥渃lose contact.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 extensive slate of meetings with Abe, Xi, British Prime Minister Theresa May and others came on the final day of the annual Group of 20 summit, which has been marked by violent demonstrations by anti-globalization activists. Trump also had a brief, unscheduled meeting with Turkey鈥檚 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the situation in Syria.
Abe, speaking through a translator, noted that the security situation in the Asia Pacific region has become 鈥渋ncreasingly severe鈥� due to North Korea鈥檚 push to develop its ballistic missile and nuclear program. Abe said he wanted to 鈥渄emonstrate the robust partnership as well as the bonds鈥� between Japan and the US on the issue.
North Korea鈥檚 successful test launch of an ICBM was a milestone in its long-term effort to build a missile that could carry a nuclear warhead to attack the United States.
The issue was a frequent topic of discussion at the summit, and the White House said earlier that the US, South Korea and Japan were pressing for additional measures against North Korea to demonstrate the 鈥渟erious consequences鈥� for its latest provocations.
The three nations have been calling for 鈥渆arly adoption鈥� of a new UN Security Council resolution and additional sanctions to demonstrate to Pyongyang the consequences of its actions.
Bringing China on board is a key part of the plan. The administration wants China to fully enforce international sanctions intended to starve Pyongyang of revenue for its nuclear and missile programs. But Trump has been dissatisfied with China鈥檚 response.
Earlier in the week, he vented on Twitter that trade between China and North Korea had grown nearly 40 percent at the start of 2017. 鈥淪o much for China working with us 鈥� but we had to give it a try!鈥�
Trump officials said later that the president hadn鈥檛 given up on the relationship.
Trade was also a key part of the discussions. The Trump administration is investigating the possibility of putting new barriers on steel imports based on national security considerations, a move that could target China, which has flooded international markets with cheap steel exports.
鈥淢any things have happened that have led to trade imbalances and we鈥檙e going to turn that around,鈥� Trump said during the meeting with Xi. Trump said he wanted a new arrangement that is 鈥渆quitable鈥� and 鈥渞eciprocal.鈥�
Meeting with May, the British leader, Trump pointed to their 鈥渟pecial relationship,鈥� and said the two countries were working on a trade agreement.
May was the first foreign leader to visit Trump at the White House and he told her he would soon 鈥渂e going to London鈥� once details were worked out. Independent trade negotiations between the two countries are a possibility as Britain exits the European Union 鈥� a move Trump has supported.
Earlier, Trump said Saturday he had a 鈥渢remendous meeting鈥� with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, his first comments on the talks with the Russian leader. Trump raised the issue of Russia鈥檚 meddling in the 2016 elections and discussed plans for a cease-fire agreement in Syria.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that Trump and Putin had a 鈥渞obust and lengthy鈥� discussion about Russian election interference but Putin denied any involvement.
Putin, in a news conference Saturday, offered his version of events and said he thought Trump believed his in-person denials of Russian meddling. White House officials traveling aboard Air Force One did not dispute that account.
Tillerson, who took part in the meeting, said Trump had been 鈥渞ightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point?鈥�
In Washington, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi criticized Trump and called his response to the Russian threat 鈥渘onsensical and absurdly inadequate.鈥� In a written statement, she said reports of Trump鈥檚 meeting with the Russian leader 鈥渓eave the American people asking why the President continues to fawn over Putin instead of standing up for the integrity of America鈥檚 democracy.鈥�
Trump also joined a women鈥檚 entrepreneurial finance event, a project spearheaded by his daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump. He lauded his daughter鈥檚 efforts to help female entrepreneurs, joking that 鈥渋f she weren鈥檛 my daughter, it would be so much easier for her.鈥�
Trump returned to Washington on Saturday evening after the conclusion of the annual G-20 meetings. He won鈥檛 be stateside for long: The president is scheduled to return to Europe next week to attend Bastille Day celebrations in Paris.