US election: Donald Trump open to talks with North Korea

 

 

Presumptive US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he is willing to meet North Korea's leader to discuss its nuclear programme.

"I would speak to him, I would have no problem speaking to him," the businessman said of Kim Jong-un.

Such a meeting would mark a significant change of US policy towards the politically isolated regime.
Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton decried Mr Trump's "bizarre fascination with foreign strongmen".
The statement, delivered by one of her aides, added that Mr Trump's foreign policy "made no sense".

In a separate interview with Fox News, Mr Trump said he "absolutely had regrets" about his nine-month campaign, but that if had not conducted himself in the way he had, he would not have been successful.
Diplomats expect his visit to the UK could happen after he formally becomes the Republican party candidate at a convention in July.
Earlier this week Mr Trump said "it looks like we're not going to have a very good relationship" with the UK.
British Prime Minister David Cameron and new London Mayor Sadiq Khan have harshly criticised Mr Trump's proposed ban on Muslims coming to the US.

 

On the subject of North Korea, the New York property developer said he would pursue face-to-face talks and added that he would also put pressure on China, as North Korea's only major ally.
"I would put a lot of pressure on China because economically we have tremendous power over China. People don't realise that," he said.
"China can solve that problem with one meeting or one phone call."
Following Mr Trump's comments, South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei as saying that Beijing "supports direct dialogue and communication between the US and North Korea", adding: "We think this is a very conducive thing to do."