‘Japan could shoot down’ Korea missiles

Tokyo : US President Donald Trump has said Japan could shoot North Korean missiles “out of the sky” with military equipment bought from the US.

Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe followed up by saying his country could intercept missiles “if necessary”, and added that he was looking into the deal.

The two leaders were speaking to reporters at the close of Trump’s first state visit to Japan.

North Korea has fired missiles over Japan twice in recent months.

Yesterday, while answering questions at a press conference, Trump said Abe was “going to purchase massive amounts of military equipment” from the US.

Referencing North Korea’s missiles, he said Abe could “shoot them out of the sky” when he completed the purchase, which Trump said would provide jobs to Americans as well as “safety for Japan”.

Abe said he was considering such a deal, adding that Japan had to “qualitatively and quantitatively” enhance its defence capability, given the “very tough” North Korea situation.

He stressed that missile defence was based on “legal co-operation” between Japan and the US, and as for shooting down missiles, “if necessary of course we can do that”.

It is not clear whether a military deal has been signed during Trump’s trip, but the two countries are close military allies with the US maintaining several military bases in Japan.

In September Trump had tweeted that he would allow the sale of high-end military equipment to Japan and South Korea.

Japan does not have a standing army, but instead maintains what it calls self-defence forces, under its post-war pacifist constitution which the hawkish Abe has been seeking to revise.

The two leaders also reaffirmed their ties and pledged to “stand against the North Korean menace”, said Trump. Abe said Japan was imposing sanctions on several North Korean entities and individuals.

Earlier yesterday, North Korean state media accused Trump of driving tensions “to the extremes” and said that “no-one can predict when the lunatic old man of the White House, lost to senses, will start a nuclear war” against North Korea.