PENCE LOOKS TO CHINA FOR KOREAN PENINSULA PEACE|美澳同調 促中施壓北韓.遏止飛彈核武挑釁

North Korea issue has dominated the Asian tour of US vice president Mike Pence. In Autralia, he said the U.S. is confident that China will do more to influence North Korea and therefore a peaceful solution is possible. Pence said USS Carl Vinson and its strike group would be in the Sea of Japan within days to respond to any provocation from the regime. At a joint press conference held on April 22, US Vice President Mike Pence and Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called on China to exert greater pressure on North Korea to stop its provocation. ==MIKE PENCE US Vice President== We truly believe that, as our allies in the region and China bring that pressure to bear, there is a chance that we can achieve a historic objective of a nuclear-free Korea peninsula by peaceful means. ==MALCOLM TURNBULL Australia Prime Minister== China has the opportunity and we say the responsibility to bring pressure to bear on North Korea to stop this reckless and dangerous trajectory upon which they are embarked. Before Australia, the final leg of his Asia tour, Pence has visited South Korea, Japan, and Indonesia. Pence reiterated in Sydney what President Trump has said that the US and the world can no longer accept North Korea's development of nuclear weapons over the past 25 years. In dealing with this nuclear crisis, all options are on the table, including the use of military force. By the end of April, the USS Carl Vinson and its strike group will arrive in the Sea of Japan to meet with the USS Ronald Reagan. ==MIKE PENCE US Vice President == With regard to the USS Carl Vinson and the carrier group, our expectation is that they will be in the Sea of Japan in position in a matter of days before the end of this month. That decision was set into motion some time ago. The announcement seems to match an Internet rumor that the US will initiate a preemptive strike against North Korea. The South Korean government has ordered its military to closely watch North Korea on April 25, the anniversary of the founding of its military. Rumors of an April crisis on the Korean Peninsula have therefore spread. Pyongyang stated that it has made full preparation for any military attack on North Korea and will strike back with nuclear weapons in such event. TRANSLATED BY：LUKE CHIANG 正在澳洲訪問的美國副總統彭斯22號強調，相信透過中國的影響力，還有機會和平解決北韓問題，但同時也指出，所有選項都有可能，而美軍卡爾文森號航母戰鬥群，4月底前就會抵達日本海，因應北韓可能的挑釁行動。 22號在雪梨的記者會上，來訪的美國副總統彭斯跟澳洲總理滕博爾聯合呼籲中國必須盡力向北韓施壓，停止北韓飛彈跟武的挑釁行徑。 ==美國副總統 彭斯== 我們真心認為我們在區域間的盟友以及中國，能一起向北韓施壓，這樣我們還有機會透過和平的手段達成朝鮮半島無核化的歷史目標。 ==澳洲總理 滕博爾== 中國有機會，我們說也有責任向北韓施壓，來停止北韓目前這種魯莽又危險的路線。 澳洲是彭斯這次亞洲10天行的最後一站，彭斯先前已訪問過南韓，日本跟印尼。彭斯在雪梨也重申川普先前的言論，強調過去25年來美國與國際社會，對北韓發展核武所採取的方式，已無法被接受，應對北韓核武危機，所有方式都有可能，當然也包括軍事選項，而美國卡爾文森號航母戰鬥群，4月底前就會抵達日本海，跟雷根號會合。 ==美國副總統 彭斯== 有關美軍卡爾文森號航母戰鬥群的問題，我們預期他們再過幾天，這個月底前，就會抵達日本海的位置，這是一段時間前就安排好的行動。 彭斯的說法，跟網路上流傳美國將在4月27號對北韓展開先發制人的軍事行動的傳言，時間點上似乎有所吻合，南韓也下令軍方密切關注4月25號北韓建軍節的動態，朝鮮半島"四月危機論"似乎又引發更多聯想。但平壤官方也強調，北韓已做好萬全準備，若果美國要跟北韓對決，將奉陪到底，會以核武打擊美國入侵。 記者 靳元慶 報導