{ "error": "", "type": "text", "title": "William Weld's Op-Ed in Foreign Affairs - North Korea, Indo-Pacific Alliances, and China", "slug": "william-welds-op-ed-in-foreign-affairs-north-korea-indo-pacific-alliances-and-china", "text": "
\"The nearest-term existential threat we face today involves nuclear weapons, whether in the hands of a state or a non-state actor. Every U.S. administration since the Cold War has been determined to prevent North Korea and Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. As president, I would be no less determined. If North Korea and Iran obtain or build nuclear weapons, then it will be the fault of the United States and its partners. But we cannot wish the problem away by bullying or bluster\u2014Trump\u2019s modus operandi. Serious challenges require serious political and diplomatic preparation. [...]
Where North Korea is concerned, the United States should be very skeptical, not engage in a reality TV bromance with its murderous leader, as Trump has done. We need a flexible approach that looks for an opening for a real solution, if possible involving the South Korea and China. But we should never take North Korea at its word or embarrass ourselves by endorsing its behavior while receiving nothing in exchange.
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I am not surprised by Trump\u2019s inclination to handle diplomatic negotiations himself, though these have been marked by childish behavior and irresponsibility. I do think it would be reasonable for the president to undertake direct talks with the leaders of Russia and China. But a U.S. president must be well briefed and well prepared. Trump brags that he prefers to take only his own advice. This is a major problem, since he has had no preparation in life for diplomacy and is not known for being a reader, to put it mildly.<\/p>\n
The nuclear threat extends beyond Iran and North Korea. Various non-state actors, including al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the affiliates of both groups, harbor ambitions of acquiring nuclear weapons. In order to prevent that from happening, the United States must remain committed to nonproliferation. Countries like Japan and South Korea rely on U.S. protection in exchange for not developing nuclear arsenals of their own. The United States cannot withdraw from the world to the point that these allies have no choice but to build their own nuclear arsenals\u2014or seek protection from another nuclear power that wishes us and them harm.<\/p>\n
The best way to prevent a cascade of nuclear proliferation is to reassure our allies that we have their backs. Under Trump, our allies and friends have lost confidence that the United States will fulfill its alliance commitments and other promises. We cannot restore such confidence overnight, but doing so will be one of my highest priorities. Friend and foe alike must recognize that the United States will not shirk its responsibilities, continue on Trump\u2019s isolationist path, or follow his breezy suggestions that Japan and South Korea should develop their own nuclear weapons. The president is maddeningly unclear on fundamental concepts such as nuclear nonproliferation. Proliferation must be a taboo, nothing less. [...]
There is no need for there to be enmity between the United States and China or Russia. Chinese President Xi Jinping was right when he told<\/a> Trump that we have a thousand reasons to be friends. But intimidation of U.S. allies must be met with a determined diplomatic response\u2014one that makes clear that our word is our bond. China\u2019s recent thuggishness in Hong Kong represents a broken promise: this is not what Beijing said \u201cone country, two systems\u201d would mean, and it bodes ominously for Chinese intentions elsewhere. We need to have talks with China about this subject, which concerns the world and world peace.
The United States must also push China to level the trading field, and to contribute to international law and order. China\u2019s contribution to the United Nations and to other international bodies must be commensurate with its wealth. These subjects must be taken up by U.S. diplomats with the utmost seriousness. Tariffs and trade wars are not the answer for anyone. [...]
The United States and the world face real choices about climate. Halting climate degradation is not a task for one country alone. I would rejoin the Paris Agreement and work with China and others to avoid causing the Arctic ice cap to melt, which would be a world catastrophe. Science, not polemics, must guide us here.\"
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