Categories: News

N Korean Nuclear, Missile Programmes Pose ‘Ongoing’ Threat: Blinken

WASHINGTON, Jan 7 — North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes pose an ongoing threat to the region and the international community, Unites States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday.

The top US diplomat also highlighted the need to strengthen the US-Japan alliance to meet such threats, Yonhap news agency reported.

“Meanwhile, North Korea’s unlawful nuclear, missile programmes pose an ongoing threat. And we saw that again this week with the most recent launch,” Blinken said, referring to North Korea’s test launch of a self-claimed hypersonic missile Wednesday (Seoul time).

Blinken made the remarks at the start of annual security consultative talks with his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, that also involved US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi.

Blinken noted threats facing the allies included what he called China’s “provocative actions” in the region and Russia’s military buildup along the Ukraine border.

“So, to address these evolving threats, our alliance must not only strengthen the tools we have but also develop new ones,” Blinken told the virtual meeting. “And I think that’s really the focus of the discussions that are about to happen.”

Blinken earlier in the day condemned the North Korean missile test while holding a telephone conversation with his Japanese counterpart.

Austin, meanwhile, reiterated challenges posed by North Korea and others in the Indo-Pacific region during the top of the two-plus-two meeting.

This week’s missile test marked North Korea’s first missile launch since October. Pyongyang has claimed to have successfully test-launched its first hypersonic missile in September.

Sources: BERNAMA

Adib Mohd

Recent Posts

Coca‑Cola Brings Back ‘Share a Coke’ Now With a Proudly Malaysian Twist

This Merdeka, Coca‑Cola is turning up the nostalgia and the local flavour. The iconic ‘Share… Read More

11 hours ago

11 Women, 8 Countries, 1 Dream: ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships 2025 Announced

Picture this: 11 brilliant women from across ASEAN are packing their bags, not just for… Read More

15 hours ago

L’Oréal Malaysia Celebrates 30 Years of Beauty Innovation and Impact

L’Oréal Groupe today marked its 30th anniversary in Malaysia, celebrating three decades of bringing world-class… Read More

15 hours ago

Smiles Are the New Flex, But 34% of Malaysians Still Hide Theirs

Smiles aren’t just cosmetic anymore they’re currency. But here’s the catch: 34% of people admit… Read More

15 hours ago

Malaysia’s Coffee Game Levels Up with NESCAFÉ Espresso Concentrate

Coffee culture isn’t slowing down anytime soon and Malaysia is now officially on the global… Read More

15 hours ago

Voices Through Colours: Young Neurodivergent Artists Shine at Manja KL

KL’s creative scene just got brighter with “Voices Through Colours”, an art exhibition that celebrated… Read More

16 hours ago

This website uses cookies.