Asia/Pacific

President Obama's top non-proliferation official promptly shot down North Korea's demand to be accepted as a nuclear state on Tuesday, calling it “neither realistic nor acceptable.” 

Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Non-Proliferation Tom Countryman made the remarks to Reuters after the communist state in recent days has signaled an interest in renewing dialogue following weeks of escalating threats. The communist state's Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Tuesday declared that “if” North Korea “sits at a table with the U.S., it has to be a dialogue between nuclear weapons states, not one side forcing the other to dismantle nuclear weapons.”

“North Korea's demand to be recognized as a nuclear weapons state is neither realistic nor acceptable,” Countryman told Reuters.

Japan has received the go-ahead to join the negotiations for an Asia-Pacific trade deal.

The 11 nations that are a part of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations agreed over the weekend that Tokyo and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have done what is needed to get a seat at the bargaining table.

Several U.S. trade groups expressed support for the move to open the door to the world's third largest economy, although congressional Democrats and the auto industry have expressed their opposition to adding Japan because of economic barriers they argue make their economy the most closed in the world.  

“Skepticism over making meaningful progress on a range of key agricultural, manufacturing and services trade and investment barriers now has the potential to give way to real progress, which, in turn, will give greater economic meaning to the TPP," said Chuck Dittrich, vice resident for regional trade initiatives of the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) in a Monday statement. 

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Germany pledged to keep 600 to 800 troops in Afghanistan to help with training after 2014 when combat troops are scheduled to depart.

German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière said Thursday that Germany wants to keep the troops in Afghanistan in 2015 for a two-year period, The Associated Press reported.

The soldiers would be stationed in Kabul and the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. After the two years, about 200 to 300 would be concentrated in Kabul, according to the AP.

North Korea offered to renew talks with the United States and South Korea on Thursday but set pre-conditions that were immediately shot down as “absurd.”

President Obama said he did not believe North Korea was able to marry its nuclear weapons and missile technology.

China is blaming the United States for ratcheting up tensions in Asia just as Secretary of State John Kerry wrapped up a four-day tour of the region.

In its annual white paper, China's ministry of defense says the Obama administration's so-called “pivot to Asia” is causing frictions by emboldening U.S. allies to lay claims to territories that China also covets. 

“There are some countries which are strengthening their Asia-Pacific military alliances, expanding their military presence in the region and frequently make the situation there tenser,” the 40-page white paper says in a clear reference to the U.S.

Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told reporters that such moves “do not accord with the developments of the times and are not conducive towards maintaining regional peace and stability,” Reuters reports.

North Korea’s belligerent threats are emerging as the first major test for John Kerry as secretary of State.

North Korea has been threatening to test launch a missile for more than a week.

Kerry on Monday urged China to press Pyongyang to "meet the obligations" needed to restart talks.

Kerry said Pyongyang must first take steps to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula.