'No dictator, no regime' should underestimate U.S. resolve, Trump tells troops in Japan

U.S. President DonaldTrump ramped up his tough rhetoric against North Korea when hearrived in Japan on Sunday, saying that the United States andits allies are prepared to defend freedom and that "no dictator"should underestimate U.S. resolve.

Trump kicked off a 12-day Asian trip and is looking topresent a united front with Japan against North Korea throughmeetings with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe amid heightened tensionsover Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests.

He told reporters on Air Force One en route to Asia thatNorth Korea would figure prominently in discussions during thetrip. He also singled out trade, which he said had been "badlyhandled" in the region for years.

Trump has rattled some allies with his vow to "totallydestroy" North Korea if it threatens the United States and hisdismissal of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a "rocket man"on a suicide mission.

A top aide said last week Trump intends to tell Asianleaders the world is "running out of time" in dealing with thenuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula.

"No dictator, no regime, no nation should ever underestimateAmerican resolve," Trump told hundreds of cheering U.S. andJapanese troops in camouflage uniforms gathered at Yokota AirBase, just west of Tokyo, soon after he arrived.

"Every once in a while, in the past, they underestimated us.It was not pleasant for them, was it?" said Trump, who wore abomber jacket as he addressed the troops.

North Korea's recent actions, including several missilesthat flew over Japan and Pyongyang's sixth and largest nucleartest, have raised the stakes in the most critical internationalchallenge of Trump's presidency.

Recent drills over South Korea by two U.S. strategic bombershave further heightened tensions.

"We will never yield, never waver and never falter indefence of our freedom," Trump said.

He told reporters earlier on Air Force One that a decisionwould be made soon on whether to add reclusive North Korea to alist of state sponsors of terrorism.

Trump said his administration planned to take a differentapproach after years of what he termed "total weakness."

"We want to get it solved. It's a big problem for ourcountry and the world, and we want to get it solved."

In an apparent attempt to distinguish between North Korea'sleadership and ordinary people, he said he thought North Koreanswere "great people."

"And I hope it all works out for everybody."

Golf diplomacy

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters before Trump'sarrival that he welcomed the visit as a chance to deepenbilateral ties by building upon the "friendship and trust"between the two leaders, fostered by several meetings thatincluded a round of golf in Florida earlier this year.

"I hope we will be able to have thorough discussions aboutinternational issues, including North Korea," he said.

Trump and Abe greeted each other with a handshake at a golfcourse to be used during the 2020 Olympic games, changingclothes and heading out to play after what media said was alunch of hamburgers. In an allusion to a Trump campaign slogan,they signed ball caps that said "Donald and Shinzo Make AllianceEven Greater."

Trump and Abe discussed North Korea and trade while playingnine holes with Hideki Matsuyama, the world no. 3 pro golfer.

A senior White House official said the two leaders havedeveloped a close bond since Trump took office in January.

"Playing golf with Prime Minister Abe and Hideki Matsuyama,two wonderful people!" Trump said in a tweet. Abe tweeted heplayed golf "with a marvellous friend (President Donald J.Trump) full of spirited conversation."

The two leaders, joined by their wives, were having anintimate dinner on Sunday night.

Trump also said he planned to meet Russian PresidentVladimir Putin during his trip, the longest Asian tour by anyU.S. leader since George H.W. Bush in 1992.

"I think it's expected that we will meet," he said. "We wantPutin's help on North Korea."

Trump wants a united front with the leaders of Japan andSouth Korea against North Korea before he visits Beijing to makethe case to Chinese President Xi Jinping that he should do moreto rein in Pyongyang.

Trade will factor heavily during Trump's trip as he tries topersuade Asian allies to agree to policies more favourable tothe United States, a point Trump emphasised.

A centrepiece of the trip will be a visit to the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation summit in Danang, Vietnam, where hewill deliver a speech in support of a free and open Indo-Pacificregion, which is seen as offering a bulwark in response toexpansionist Chinese policies.

"One of the things we're going to be very focused on istrade because trade has not been done well for 25 years by theUnited States with this part of the world, with any part of theworld," he said on Air Force One.

"We're going to be discussing reciprocal trade. Fair, freebut reciprocal," he said.