Pence to talk trade agreement in Japan
TOKYO -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Tokyo on Monday to discuss North Korea and other issues with Japanese officials before heading to two regional summits.
Pence is expected to also discuss China's growing regional influence and bilateral trade with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when they meet today, officials said.
During a stopover in Alaska, Pence told reporters that he planned to "talk about our important alliance, our economic relationship, current negotiations for a free-trade agreement of course, and we'll be focusing on our ongoing commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Japan's NHK public television reported.
Pence said in a recent opinion piece in The Washington Post that America will soon begin negotiations for "a historic trade agreement with Japan."
The two countries agreed in September to start negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement. Talks are expected to begin early next year.
President Donald Trump's administration has reached a trade pact with South Korea and another with Mexico and Canada. Pence said in the article that the new trade deals "will put American jobs and American workers first."
Pence is to leave today to attend a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore and an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Papua New Guinea on behalf of Trump.
Navy pilots safe after Philippines crash
TOKYO -- A U.S. combat jet from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the sea northeast of the Philippines on Monday, but its two pilots were rescued safely.
The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said the F/A-18 Hornet had a mechanical problem during routine operations in the Philippine Sea.
A rescue aircraft quickly plucked the pilots from the water and took them back to the ship, the Navy said in a statement. They were in good condition and the aircraft carrier has since returned to normal operations, the Navy said.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
The crash was the second involving aircraft belonging to the USS Ronald Reagan in less than a month.
In mid-October, a MH-60 Seahawk crashed shortly after takeoff, causing nonfatal injuries to a dozen sailors.
Romania says it's unprepared to lead EU
BUCHAREST, Romania -- Romania's president said Monday his country isn't ready to take over the European Union's rotating presidency on Jan. 1 and called for the government to step down.
President Klaus Iohannis said "things have gone off the rails," and that there was "a political necessity to replace the government," which he called "an accident of Romanian democracy."
Viorica Dancila, a little-known politician, became prime minister in January, but has little executive power as Liviu Dragnea, chairman of the ruling Social Democratic Party, basically runs the government. Dragnea can't serve as prime minister because of a conviction for vote-rigging.
"It's the 12th hour [and] we are totally unprepared," Iohannis said. "There's no chance of a good government ... or proper involvement in European affairs."
European Affairs Minister Victor Negrescu, tasked with preparing Romania to take over the EU presidency, unexpectedly resigned last week. Romanian government officials were apparently dissatisfied with Negrescu's performance in building good relations within the EU's executive branch.
"It's unclear at the government who the responsible people are," Iohannis said. "People who should be dealing with the EU presidency resign or they're dismissed." Dragnea called the president's comments "a major disservice to Romania."
China keeps ban on tiger, rhino trade
BEIJING -- The Chinese government, bowing to pressure from environmental groups, said Monday that it would temporarily reinstate a ban on the use of rhinoceros horns and tiger bones in medicine.
Making a rare concession, the State Council, China's Cabinet, said that it had decided to postpone an order made last month to undo a 25-year ban on the trade.
"The Chinese government has not changed its stance on wildlife protection and will not ease the crackdown on illegal trafficking and trade of rhinos, tigers and their byproducts," Ding Xuedong, a top official with the council, said in remarks published in the state-run news media Monday.
Environmentalists celebrated the change, though some warned that it might be temporary.
"Keeping these products banned is the only way we stand a chance of protecting the future survival of these incredible animals that are already in decline," said Gilbert M. Sape, a campaigner with World Animal Protection, an advocacy group based in London.
Chinese officials did not specify Monday when they might revisit the order. Sape urged the government to drop the policy altogether.
The order last month undermined China's efforts to portray itself as an environmental leader and it drew a fierce backlash from animal-rights advocates, who described it as a significant setback for the protection of the fewer than 30,000 rhinos and 3,900 tigers still in the wild.
-- Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports
A Section on 11/13/2018