He added, though, that doesn't mean we should expect him to attack North Korea, whose leader, Kim Jong-un, has increased his war of words with the United States and may be planning a nuclear test this weekend.
"Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan", Pence told media referring to missile strikes in Syria for deadly chemical attack and Mother Of All Bombs dropped on an ISIS tunnel complex in Afghanistan. He said the USA and its allies would deal with the situation "through peaceable means or ultimately by whatever means are necessary". China has backed North Korea since the peninsula was last at war in the 1950s, in part to prevent having an American ally on its border. While the North did not conduct a nuclear test, the specter of a potential test and an escalated USA response has trailed Pence as he undertakes his Asian tour.
Trump began the month by declaring, on April 2, that the United States would be willing to go it alone to restrain North Korea's nuclear weapons program should China fail to change the situation. He added that the North Korean leader's unpredictability complicated USA strategy.
"North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region".
"But at the same time", the prime minister said, "dialogue for the sake of dialogue is valueless and it is necessary for us to exercise pressure North Korea so that it comes forward and engages in this serious dialogue". The term "reckless" is one the North Koreans have used to describe ongoing large-scale USA and South Korean military exercises, which the North calls a dress rehearsal for an invasion.
The national security adviser said that the administration's recent actions in Syria and elsewhere have demonstrated that Trump "is comfortable making the tough decisions".
Past administrations, though, have failed to stop, let alone slow down, North Korea's nuclear program and ballistic missile developments. "It doesn't make any difference if it does or not - North Korea is a problem, the problem will be taken care of", Trump told reporters. The North Korean threat has puzzled leaders for decades, and it continues to do so. North Korea regularly launches short-range missiles, but it is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target USA troops in Asia and, eventually, the US mainland.
Trump tweeted Sunday: "Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem?"
While not publicly defining its plans, the White House has said that all options are on the table to prevent North Korea from acquiring the ability to strike the USA with a nuclear weapon. Last week, Trump said he would not declare China a currency manipulator, pulling back from a campaign promise, as he looked for help from Beijing, which is the North's dominant trade partner.
"Everybody's been outplayed, they've all been outplayed by this gentleman and we'll see what happens", Trump said. During the parade, the North showed off a few intercontinental ballistic missile models, potentially moving the regime a step closer to its goal of developing an ICBM that can deliver a nuclear warhead to the continental U.S.
When asked if he had a message for North Korea, President Trump replied "Gotta behave". ECONOMY Planned fiscal stimulus from Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress could pose an "upside risk" to the USA economy, Kansas City Federal Reserve President Esther George says, adding she is not yet forecasting it will materialize. Recent satellite imagery suggests the country could conduct another underground nuclear test at any time.