Tokyo farewells "trustworthy" Tillerson, Seoul awaits seasoned Pompeo (updated)
14/03/2018 06:35
(Adds detail on S.Korean trip cancelled, Japanese defence
stocks, paragraphs 6, 9)
* U.S. President Donald Trump fires Sec of State Tillerson
* Japan says had expected to work with Tillerson on N.Korea
* Pompeo's hawkish views known but a "seasoned politician" -
S.Korean officials
By Linda Sieg and Hyonhee Shin
TOKYO/SEOUL, March 14 (Reuters) - Japan's foreign minister
said on Wednesday he personally regretted the departure of
"frank, trustworthy" U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ahead
of a proposed summit between President Donald Trump and North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump fired Tillerson on Tuesday after a series of public
rifts over policy on North Korea and other issues, replacing him
with loyalist Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1QV0JE
"He (Tillerson) was a frank, trustworthy counterpart and I
thought we would deal with the North Korea issue together, but
personally, I feel that this situation that has developed is
unfortunate," Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono told reporters
in Tokyo.
"For sure, America holds the key, so I want to meet his
successor as secretary of state soon and exchange views on North
Korea and other matters," Kono said.
Critics expressed dismay at the decision to swap out top
diplomats so soon before the unprecedented potential meeting
between Kim and Trump, and worried that Pompeo would encourage
Trump to be hawkish on North Korea.
One South Korean official told Reuters South Korea's Foreign
Minister Kang Kyung-wha had cancelled a planned trip to
Washington to discuss North Korea after Tillerson's departure.
Other South Korean officials, also speaking on the condition
of anonymity, said that while Pompeo was known to have hardline
views on North Korea, he was a seasoned politician and seemed to
know how to compromise.
"We're aware that Pompeo was one of the strongest voices in
the talk of military action and fed Trump related assessments,
but things have since changed a lot," one senior official said,
referring to upcoming inter-Korean talks and the prospect of a
Kim-Trump summit. "So, we will see."
CHINA CONTACT CRUCIAL
Shares in Japanese defence equipment makers rose sharply on
speculation that geopolitical tensions may rise after the firing
of Tillerson and Pompeo's appointment. Ishikawa Seisakusho
6208.T surged as much as 15 percent, while Howa Machinery
6203.T jumped 11 percent.
Jia Qingguo, an expert on Chinese diplomacy at Peking
University in Beijing, said China may see positive outcomes from
the change when it comes to the U.S. position on the Belt and
Road initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping's signature
foreign policy initiative.
"Tillerson has at times been quite critical of China,
including of Belt and Road," Jia said. "Trump is not as hawkish
on China as many assume. He has tried to communicate and to cut
a deal."
Coming from the CIA, Pompeo is more likely to see China as a
threat but his views will probably soften, Jia said.
"Once you are in the secretary of state position, you need
to be more pragmatic and take into account the huge stakes
involved, so the impact will not be as big as some people
expect."
Most important for China was that Pompeo makes contact with
his Chinese counterparts to ensure a smooth meeting between Kim
and Trump as soon as possible, said Ruan Zongze, a former
Chinese diplomat now with the China Institute of International
Studies, a think tank affiliated with the Foreign Ministry.
"Time is short. There are a lot things to do. Every day is
very important," he said.
Pompeo is also known for his hawkish views on trade. He
takes over as the chief U.S. diplomat as the United States is
finalising the imposition of hefty tariffs on steel and
aluminium that have upset a number of Asian trading partners.
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Close ally Australia, which is working through an exemption
from the U.S. tariffs, welcomed Pompeo's appointment.
"We know him very well," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull
told reporters. "He's a great friend of Australia. The
transition will be absolutely seamless. Our relationship with
the United States, as you know, is outstanding at so many levels
from the president and myself, right through the military,
intelligence, diplomacy and business."
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
NEWSMAKER-Trump loyalist Pompeo faces North Korea challenge as
top diplomat urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1QV1FD
Trump picks controversial figure Haspel as new CIA chief
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Senate Intel chairman backs Haspel to head CIA, Democrats
concerned urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1QV12O
BREAKINGVIEWS-Rexit shrinks White House talent pool, welcome mat
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Trump loyalist Pompeo faces North Korea challenge as top
diplomat urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1QV0X9
FACTBOX-Five facts about Mike Pompeo, tapped for secretary of
state urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1QV0L6
FACTBOX-Trump and Tillerson disagreed on key diplomatic issues
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1KH1VW
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(Additional reporting by Colin Packham in SYDNEY, Elaine Lies
and Ayai Tomisawa in TOKYO, Josh Smith in SEOUL, and Christian
Shepherd in BEIJING
Writing by Lincoln Feast
Editing by Paul Tait)
((Lincoln.Feast@thomsonreuters.com; +61 2 9373 1826; Reuters
Messaging: lincoln.feast.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))