NKorea, Iran, Japan base issues overshadow key US-China strategic and economic talks
By Matthew Lee, APThursday, May 20, 2010
Security issues overshadow Clinton’s Asia trip
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is embarking on a three-nation tour of Asia, and a crisis with North Korea, possible new sanctions on Iran and the debate over U.S. military bases in Japan are likely to upset her agenda.
There have been striking new developments on those three security fronts ahead of Clinton’s Thursday departure from Washington. Particularly vexing for the U.S. and its Asian allies is a new report blaming North Korea for the sinking of a South Korean warship.
At each stop along her way — Japan, China and South Korea — these three tough foreign policy problems are expected to draw the spotlight.
The centerpiece of the trip was to have been strategic and economic talks with China.
