Thursday, April 20, 2017

How US could stop a North Korean missile

The Pukkuksong submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) were on parade. It was the first time North Korea had shown the missiles, which have a range of more than 1,000 km (600 miles), at a military parade.

Displaying more than one of the missiles indicates North Korea is progressing with its plan to base a missile on a submarine, which are hard to detect, said Joshua Pollack, editor of the Washington-based Nonproliferation Review.

"It suggests a commitment to this program," said Pollack. "Multiple SLBMs seems like a declaration of intent to advance the program."

North Korea, still technically at war with the South after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce but not a treaty, has on occasion conducted missile or nuclear tests to coincide with big political events and often threatens the United States, South Korea and Japan.

Choe Ryong Hae, a close aide to Kim Jong Un, addressed the packed square with a characteristically bellicose warning to the United States.

"If the United States wages reckless provocation against us, our revolutionary power will instantly counter with annihilating strike, and we will respond to full-out war with full-out war and to nuclear war with our style of nuclear strike warfare," he said.

A new report, created by UN experts, suggests that North Korea has almost completed work on its advanced submarine missile program

In December, satellite images of the Sinpo South Shipyard sparked speculation that a weapon could be launched imminently

Story highlights

US tracked North Korean missile with Aegis ballistic missile defense, Pentagon says
US, Japan, South Korea operate Aegis-equipped warships

(CNN)North Korea's test of a ballistic missile last month showed new, more dangerous capabilities in its missile program, but the Pentagon says the US and its Asian allies have defenses to deal with threat.

When North Korea launched the missile on February 12, the US Navy had two destroyers in the Sea of Japan with the ability to shoot it down, a US defense official said.

The guided missile destroyers, USS Stethem and USS McCampbell, are equipped with the Aegis ballistic missile defense system, which is able to track 100 missiles simultaneously and fire interceptors to take out an enemy's ballistic projectiles.

ANALYSIS: Nikki Haley adds to tough talk with North Korea response

The Aegis-equipped guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem sails in formation as part of an exercise off South Korea in 2016.

"We worked very quickly with our Japanese and South Korean allies to make sure that it did not pose a threat to them either. As you know we maintain abilities to be able to respond quickly and intercept missiles from North Korea if they do pose a threat to us or our allies," a Pentagon spokesman, US Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said.

The North Korean launch involved the first land-based test of an intermediate-range missile that, in the past, has been fired from a submarine, two US officials said.

And because it was launched from a missile site on North Korea's west coast, it flew farther than any previous North Korean tests, about 300 miles before dropping into the Sea of Japan.

A South Korean lawmaker's office said the North Korean missile could have gone even farther.

"The missile was launched at 89 degrees, and if it were to be launched at normal angle, which is 45 degrees, it could fly over 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles). This launch shows that North Korea's missile technology is constantly progressing," said a statement from the office of Lee Cheol-woo, who was briefed by South Korea's National Intelligence Service.

US officials noted that the missile, the Pukguksong-2, used solid rocket fuel, making it harder to detect an imminent launch because it requires less fueling time on the launch pad.

But the Aegis system, which is in the arsenals of the US, Japan and South Korea, enables early detection of missile threats and provides the ability to track those missiles for interception later in their flights, according to Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor behind the system.

"The Aegis system is very capable at tracking and engaging ballistic missile systems," said Carl Schuster, a Hawaii Pacific University professor and former director of operations at the US Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center.

Ballistic missiles use a high, arching trajectory to reach their targets. Aegis, using powerful AN/SPY-1 radar on warships nearest the launch site, picks up the missiles during their ascent phase.

Those nearby ships can fire interceptors to strike the ballistic missile early in its flight, or send tracking data to ships farther along the ballistic missile's flight path, so it can be destroyed when it is near its highest point.

President Donald Trump's pivot on Asia 03:00

Aegis does have the ability to link data between US, Japanese and South Korean warships, Schuster said. But it has limitations, too.

While the US system can work with either Japan or South Korea, the three cannot work together because there is no one data encryption system that works among them, Schuster said.

And Bruce Bennett, senior defense analyst with the Rand Corporation, says the South Korean Aegis destroyers are not equipped with the interceptors necessary to take out enemy ballistic missiles.

Aegis can also work with other missile defense systems -- such as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, which is to be deployed in South Korea this year, or the Patriot missile defense.

But those systems have a more limited range, elevating the importance of Aegis ships, where they are, and how often they are deployed.

"I think the US needs to position its Aegis ships in the right part of the Sea of Japan to intercept a North Korean missile test and that the US Navy has not been doing that on a regular basis," Bennett said.

US, Japan conduct successful missile interception test

While Aegis has been successful in intercepting ballistic missiles during tests, it has not been used to take out one in combat.

In what some say is the system's most noteworthy success, Aegis was used to destroy an inoperable spy satellite in 2008 when officials feared the satellite could crash to Earth and potentially release a cloud of toxic gas.

The US Navy has 22 guided-missile cruisers and 62 guided-missile destroyers equipped with the Aegis system. Japan has six Aegis destroyers with plans for more. South Korea operates three Aegis-equipped destroyers.

The military thinks bolstering its presence in the Arctic is necessary, but that may not be enough to make it happen

A U.S. Army Alaska soldier with Bravo Company, 3-21 Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade scans the Arctic tundra outside Deadhorse during Operation Arctic Pegasus, Nov. 4, 2015. (Capt. Richard Packer / U.S. Army)

WASHINGTON — An otherwise complete military strategy for the U.S. Arctic is on hold during the transition between presidential administrations, but Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan shared what he knows of its contents — including concerns about growing Russian aggression in the region.

100 FLYING AIRCRAFT CARRIER POWERED BY Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion Engine WILL DOMINATE THE ARCTIC REGION AND ITS RESOURCES

My conceptual design will be without the potruding nose but an upward deck where the planes can be launched in a 30 degree angle at the bow. The wings are fixed and a hybrid Blended Wing Body (BWB). The BWB is a type of tailless flying wing design in which the wing and fuselage are blended together into one seamless body in order to achieve significant improvements in performance over the conventional aircraft, example shown in Fig. 67. Unlike the flying wing design, in which the entire body of the aircraft is a wing, the BWB has a fuselage that is designed as a wing. Therefore, the BWB has a fuselage section that is thicker than the flying wing which allows it to accommodate more payloads. And, unlike a conventional aircraft, the BWB's fuselage acts as a lifting body allowing it to generate lift, rather than acting as an interference component

It will have two twin vertcal stabilizer situated halfway on the wings slanted outward from bow to aft, as the wings will be the whole length of the ship. All engines will be on the other side of the vertcal stabilizer allowing for a clean flight deck and safety for deck personnel.

These aircraft carrier will be manned by a company of marines who will take care of crewing, maintenance, part of the amphivious force. It will be armed with super lasers, SAM, UAV, anti ship missles.

For assault vehicles, the marines will be provided with light weight GXV-T with super lasers as weapons of defense.

The Ground X-Vehicle Technology program (GXV-T) will develop an array of technology in four areas for the combat machines: radically enhanced mobility, survivability through agility, crew augmentation and signature management. The program is looking at new capabilities that will allow the machines to travel up steep slopes and travel around uneven elevations

GXV-T also plans to explore ways to provide semi-autonomous driver assistance and the augmentation of key functions. And although the vehicle will be able to see for miles, it will be designed with infrared, acoustic and electromagnetic stealth capabilities to reduce detectable signatures

'The consequences of a malfunction or enemy hacking of an autonomous weapon could be severe.'

Autonomous weapons are not being used by any nation at the moment, but some have deployed unmanned vehicles in combat zones.

If the security systems safeguarding the autonomous technology can be overridden by hackers, it could cause havoc on the battlefield.

'There have been efforts to harden the data link's encryption to make the connection with the operator more secure,' said Huw Williams, editor of IHS Jane's International Defence Review.

'It remains a concern, no encryption is perfect and there is still the danger that a data link can be broken.'

Hijacking risks will increase as the system becomes more automated, regardless if the platform is still controlled by a human operator.

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'We're exploring a variety of potentially groundbreaking technologies, all of which are designed to improve vehicle mobility, vehicle survivability and crew safety and performance without piling on armor,' said Major Orlowski. DARPA said the US Army and Marine Corps have expressed interest in future GXV-T capabilities
The amphivious GEV craft can be used as a mobile platform for artillery and missles launchers dropping the need for heavy guns on wheels. The goal here is to deploy a division of fighting men anywhere in the world in less than 30 hrs. Imagine these GEV as flying LST that can deploy inland and move anywhere as fast 300 mph avoiding the enemy.

Placing the Engine The BWB program is examining a new method for engine installation that promises to increase safety and fuel efficiency. Three advanced “high-bypass ratio” engines will be buried in the trailing edge of the outer section of the BWB wing, allowing the center of the craft free for flight deck use. While conventional aircraft engines only take in “free-stream air,” both the air on and near the surface of the wing will flow through the BWB’s curved inlets and into its engines. Taking in the layer of air on the wing surface reduces drag. While this technology will require validation before becoming a reality, researchers are initiating tests to determine acceptable levels of turbulence in the engine inlet

Turboelectric Distributed Propulsion Engine Cycle Analysis for Hybrid-Wing-Body Aircraft

Seaplane conceptual design and sizing

Visionary Concept: Future Seaplane Transport 5.1. Introduction During the years of 1950 – 1980, the world was experiencing an exponential growth in technological advances due to the superpower rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. The aeronautical industry as well got caught in this expansion of technological exploration. The empirical guidelines during those days were: higher, further, and faster. In the late 1990’s, this exponential growth reached it maximum peak.

The fiscal year 2016 defense authorization bill included a requirement that the Defense Department come up with a comprehensive strategy — known as an "O Plan" — for the Arctic. But the plan was not released before President Barack Obama left office and is currently hanging in limbo while new top officials take control of the federal workforce.

Sullivan said the new strategy document, though not yet approved by the administration of President Donald Trump, acknowledges the major changes to the Arctic region driven by Russian activity.

"Over the last two years, Russia has continued its massive buildup of the Arctic," Sullivan said Tuesday at a meeting held by the Center for Strategic and International Studies here. In the Arctic, Russia has added four new brigade combat teams, a new Arctic command, and 14 new operational airfields, with a goal of 50 airfields by 2020, Sullivan said. The nation has added 16 deep-water ports and has 40 icebreakers, with 11 new icebreakers in development. That all comes as Russia has laid claim to a vast swath of Arctic Ocean seabed as under agreements governing extended continental shelves and increased its long-range air patrols, Sullivan said.

And a recent Russian Arctic military exercise included "45,000 troops, 3,300 military vehicles, 41 ships, 15 submarines and 110 aircraft," Sullivan said.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

'The sword stands ready': Vice President Mike Pence warns North Korea of 'an overwhelming and effective American response' that will 'defeat any attack' as he addresses 2,500 cheering sailors aboard the USS Ronald Reagan in Tokyo Bay

Pence made the appearance on board the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier on Tuesday while in Japan
He told the US and Japanese sailors at the US Yokosuka naval base in Tokyo Bay that the US wanted peace
But he warned that the country would be 'ready' to retaliate if North Korea attempted any kind of attack
At the same time defense secretary Jim Mattis, who is in the Middle East, said Kim Jong-un was 'reckless'
The aggressive stance is undermined by a carrier still off Australia's coast, 11 days after it was to head to Korea
The USS Carl Vinson will head out within 24 hours, Pentagon officials said - it was supposed to set off April 8
Russia and China have both called on the US to come to a peaceful accord with North Korea

Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea not to test the resolve of the US military on Wednesday, promising it would give an 'overwhelming and effective' response to any use of conventional or nuclear weapons.

Pence, who was visiting the US Yokosuka naval base in Tokyo Bay, announced that President Donald Trump's administration would continue to 'work diligently' with allies like Japan, China and other global powers to apply economic and diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang.

He also said the President Donald Trump was going to overhaul and simplify the US tax code which 'will benefit every business represented here today'.

In an address to the US Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Pence claimed the 'era of over-regulation was over.'

But, he told the 2,500 sailors aboard the USS Ronald Reagan in a Japanese US naval base: 'As all of you know, readiness is the key.

'The United States of America will always seek peace - but under President Trump, the shield stands guard and the sword stands ready.'

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Vigilance: Vice President Mike Pence told 2,500 US and Japanese sailors on Wednesday that in the face of North Korean provocation, 'the shield stands guard and the sword stands ready'

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Pence was speaking to both US servicemen and Japanese Self-Defense Forces personnel on the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, docked at the US Navy's Yokosuka base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo

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Thumbs up: Pence took selfies with sailors and gave a thumbs-up to the crowd, but his message was more serious, in the wake of North Korea's latest attempt to launch a missile

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Crowds: The deck of the nuclear-powered cruiser was packed out by thousands of sailors who cheered Pence's promise to present a strong force towards North Korean aggression

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Peace: Pence (pictured with Japanese deputy prime minister and finance minister Taro Aso) said that the US and its allies - including Japan and China - would put pressure on Pyongyang for a peaceful resolution to the recent tensions

'Those who would challenge our resolve or readiness should know: We will defeat any attack and meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective American response,' Pence said.

He also said the US would protect freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, the sea lanes vital to global shipping where China has been staking claim to disputed territory.

The US Pacific Command confirmed the USS Carl Vinson strike group will be heading to the Korean region in response to the growing instability on the Korean peninsula.

A spokesman said the carrier strike group was being deployed to the western Pacific 'as a prudent measure'.

From two continents, Pence and defense secretary Jim Mattis - who is in the Middle East - warned that North Korea's latest failed missile launch was a reckless act of provocation and assured allies in Asia that the US was ready to work to achieve a peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Mattis denounced North Korea's attempted missile launch as he began a Middle East tour, telling reporters traveling with him to Saudi Arabia: 'the leader of North Korea again recklessly tried to provoke something by launching a missile.'

The term 'reckless' is one the North Koreans have used to describe ongoing large-scale US and South Korean military exercises, which the North calls a dress rehearsal for an invasion.

China conducts live-fire exercise on its new destroyer near North Korea as Pyongyang vows weekly missile tests amid escalating tensions

The Chinese navy has tested its new guided-missile destroyer, Xining
The drill was conducted on the Yellow Sea between China and Korean Peninsula
The guided-missile destroyer is integrated with 'many new types of weaponry'
North Korea yesterday threatened to launch weekly missile tests amid tensions

The Chinese navy has tested its new guided-missile destroyer, Xining, in a first-ever live-fire exercise.

The full-on drill was carried out on the Yellow Sea, which is situated between China and the Korean Peninsula.

Footage of the exercise was broadcast yesterday on the China Central Television Station (CCTV) as Beijing urged North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions amid growing military tensions.

North Korea threatened to launch weekly missile tests yesterday after US Vice President Mike Pence warned that the 'era of patience' with Kim Jong-un is over.

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China has conducted a live-fire exercise on its new guided-missile destroyer Xining

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The drill was held on Yellow Sea, which is situated between China and the Korean Peninsula

According to CCTV, a series of exercises were held on the Yellow Sea to test Xining's weapon performance during 'complex weather conditions' and through 'complicated electromagnetic environment'.

Footage of the drill has also been shared by state-run People's Daily on its Twitter account.

Xining is a Type 052D-class guided-missile destroyer. It was commissioned to service the North Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy in January.

During the exercise, the destroyer's main artillery was tasked to shoot down enemy targets which were quickly approaching the vessel on waters and in air. Its torpedo and sonar system were also put to test during the intensive mock battle.

The exercise is said to have lasted for several days.

Xiang Zhihong, a supervising officer from the North Sea Fleet, told CCTV: 'This live-fire exercise not only provided officers and sailors with an opportunity to fire the artillery, but also tested and regulated their firing techniques and help them gather battling experience.'

XINING: CHINA'S NEW DESTROYER

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Xining (pictured) is named and commissioned in January to service the PLA Navy

Xining is China's homegrown guided-missile destroyer, which was named and commissioned on January 22.

The vessel is integrated with 'many new types of weaponry', including main artillery on the deck, anti-aircraft and anti-missile close-in weapon system, torpedo and missile.

It has high informatisation level, advanced stealth capability and electro-magnetic compatibility.

The destroyer is mainly responsible for formation command, regional air defense, anti-submarine warfare and other missions.

Source: China's Ministry of National Defense

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The destroyer was tasked to shoot down enemy targets approaching on waters and in air

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A supervising officer said the drill had provided soldiers with an opportunity to fire the artillery

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The exercise was carried out by the PLA Navy on the Yellow Sea near the Korean Peninsula

CCTV's footage of Xining's live-fire drilled appeared just days after the station flaunted China's arsenal of missiles during a military programme.

Both reports appeared at a sensitive time as military tensions escalated in North Korea over the nation's nuclear projects.

Tension has risen as U.S. President Donald Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and pursued nuclear and missile programmes that Washington sees as a direct threat.

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The mock battle was conducted during 'complex weather conditions', reported CCTV News

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The footage was released just days after the station flaunted China's arsenal of missiles

On Sunday, North Korea attempted to fire a missile - but it was an embarrassing failure when the weapon blew up four or five seconds after being launched.

The South Korean defence ministry said it had detected a failed launch from Sinpo - where North Korea's biggest submarine base is located.

It was thought to be one of the country's new 'game-changer' intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) which was revealed to the world just hours before on Saturday.

North Korea unveiled the new weapons on Saturday during a display of the country's military might in the country's capital Pyongyang as Kim Jong-un warned of an 'annihilating strike' if the US attacked.

North Korea has threatened to launch weekly missile tests after US Vice President Mike Pence warned that the 'era of patience' with Kim Jong-un is over.

Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol yesterday ramped up the tension between the two nations by saying: 'We'll be conducting more missile tests on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis.'

He also said that an 'all out war' was a possibility if the US responded by taking military action against Pyongyang.

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Missiles are paraded across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade on Saturday

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Defying international pressure, the North on Sunday tried to test-fire another missile in an attempt that failed, but which fuelled fears that it may be preparing for its sixth atomic weapons test. On Saturday, Pyongyang showed off its military strength during a huge parade

WHERE DOES CHINA STAND?

North Korea has not responded this month to requests from senior Chinese diplomats, including the country's foreign minister, to meet North Korean counterparts, amid rising tension with the United States, Bloomberg reported yesterday.

Citing unidentified sources, the report said China's special envoy for the North Korea nuclear issue, Wu Dawei, was the other official whose requests for meetings went unanswered.

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

Last week, the ministry twice said it had no information to provide on whether Wu would be going to North Korea.

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US Vice President Mike Pence on Monday warned Kim Jong-un (centre) not to test President Donald Trump's resolve, declaring that 'all options are on the table' for curbing its missile and nuclear weapons programmes

While asked about North Korea's failed missile test, China's foreign ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said during a regular press conference yesterday that 'all relevant parties should avoid taking provocative actions that further fuel tensions.

Lu also said that all parties should 'make efforts to ease the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula'.

He encouraged all parties to 'get back to the negotiating table and properly resolve the Peninsula issue through peaceful means'.

China has also denied any political motive in the cancellation of flights by its flag carrier to North Korea, as pressure mounts on Beijing to help curb Pyongyang's weapons programmes.

State broadcaster CCTV reported last Friday that Air China had suspended its Beijing-Pyongyang route, leading to speculation the move was intended to pressure the North.

Air China has suspended its Beijing-Pyongyang route, according to CCTV News

But foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang distanced his government from the decision and said it was purely 'market-based'.

'It's natural for Air China or other airlines to make such decisions,' Lu told a regular press briefing. 'There shouldn't be overinterpretation of this issue.'

Beijing is Pyongyang's only major ally and biggest trade partner. It is being urged by the Trump administration to do more to rein in the North's missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

In February, China announced it was halting all imports of coal from North Korea - a crucial earner for Pyongyang - for the rest of the year.

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The USS Carl Vinson, left, pictured with the Arleigh-Burke missile cruiser USS Michael Murphy and the USS Lake Champlain are set to be deployed to the Korean peninsula in response to Kim Jong-un's continued threats of weapons tests

Mattis did not identify the type of missile used but said it was not of intercontinental range, meaning it could not reach US territory. He did not comment on what might have caused the missile to fail.

Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an intelligence matter, said the missile was a Scud variant that the US calls a KN-17.

Mattis credited China with trying to help get the North Korea situation 'under control' with the goal of denuclearizing the peninsula.

Pence's speech on the aircraft carrier followed meetings Tuesday in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, where he noted that 'all options are on the table.'

Abe said that it was a 'matter of paramount importance for us to seek diplomatic efforts as well peaceable settlements of the issue.'

'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 on North Korea so that it comes forward and engages in this serious dialogue.'

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'Reckless': As Pence made his appearance before the forces, defense secretary Jim Mattis called the missile launch 'reckless' behavior on the part of Kim Jong-un

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Meetings: Prior to the visit, Pence had been in meetings with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, where he noted that 'all options are on the table'

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Posing: Pence also posing for selfies with the crew after his speech. His rhetoric was undermined slightly by the fact that the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, promised to the Korean theater by Trump, was still languishing near Australia

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Pressure: Shinzo emphasized diplomacy, but said that 'dialogue for the sake of dialogue is valueless' and that pressure would have to be put on North Korea to come to the table. Pictured: Pence visiting a Buddhist Temple in Tokyo on Tuesday

Dialogue: Also on Tuesday, Pence spoke to Aso (present, but not seen in picture) during the Japan-US Economic Dialogue at the prime minister's office in Tokyo

Trump and Pence, who stopped at the Demilitarized Zone dividing North and South Korea on Monday, have signaled this week a forceful US stance on North Korea's recent actions. But it remains unclear what might come next.

Behind the heated rhetoric, Trump's strategy in the region looks somewhat similar to predecessor Barack Obama's - albeit with the added unpredictability of a new president who has shown he's willing to use force.

Pence told reporters Monday that Trump was hopeful China would use its 'extraordinary levers' to pressure the North to abandon its weapons program.

But the vice president expressed impatience with the unwillingness of North Korea to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

The talk of strength was undermined slightly by the announcement by Pentagon officials on Wednesday that the USS Carl Vinison, said to have headed to the Korean Peninsula on April 8, was still languishing in the ocean near Australia.

Mattis had claimed on April 11 that the aircraft carrier's strike fleet was on its way to North Korea as a 'prudent measure' to deter further escalation.

But Pentagon officials told CNN on Tuesday that the ships would finally set sail within 24 hours, and the strike group wouldn't be in the region before next week at the earliest.

Meanwhile, other countries have reacted to the US's forceful stance in the Korean sea.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters he hopes 'there will be no unilateral actions like those we saw recently in Syria and that the US will follow the line that President Trump repeatedly voiced during the election campaign.'

China made a plea for a return to negotiations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said tensions need to be eased on the Korean Peninsula to bring the escalating dispute to a peaceful resolution.

Lu said Beijing wants to resume the multi-party negotiations that ended in stalemate in 2009 and suggested that US plans to deploy a missile defense system in South Korea were damaging its relations with China.

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Force: Trump's strategy in the region looks much the same as Barack Obama's measured approach - but with the added unpredictability of a new president who has shown he's willing to use force

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Concerned: Pence's visit coincided with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov saying he hoped 'there will be no unilateral actions like those we saw recently in Syria'

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Pleas: China made a plea for a return to negotiations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said tensions need to be eased on the Korean Peninsula to bring the escalating dispute to a peaceful resolution. Pence struck a more forceful presence