海角大神

US Secretary of State John Kerry is focusing this week on reinvigorating the Obama administration鈥檚 effort to "pivot" towards Asia following last week's first-stage implementation of the Iranian nuclear deal.聽

Mr. Kerry arrived in Laos on Sunday at the start a four-day trip that includes stops in Cambodia and China. During his whirlwind tour, he is expected to press China on its relations with North Korea and to urge Southeast Asia to show unity in response to Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Tensions in the Middle East 鈥� from Iran鈥檚 nuclear program to the conflict in Syria 鈥� absorbed much of Kerry鈥檚 attention during his first three years as the top US diplomat. In what is likely to be his final year, analysts are wondering whether he will pick up in Asia where his predecessor, Hillary Rodham Clinton, left off.

Ms. Clinton made the "rebalancing" of America's focus and resources toward a rising Asia a top priority during her four years as secretary of state. While Kerry has promised to push ahead with the so-called 鈥淎sia pivot,鈥� until now it has appeared to come second to his efforts in the Middle East.

This week鈥檚 trip could signal a shift in focus. At the top of Kerry's agenda will be getting Beijing to step up pressure on Pyongyang in response to North Korea鈥檚 nuclear test earlier this month, a senior State Department official told the Wall Street Journal.

Asked at a press conference last week if the US lost its focus on North Korea because of challenges in other regions, Kerry said 鈥淣orth Korea has never been left unattended to, not for one day,鈥� reports Voice of America.

But Michael O鈥橦anlon, a researcher at the Brookings Institution who specializes in national security and defense policy, contends that the Obama administration has taken a 鈥渉ands-off approach鈥� to the North Korean nuclear threat.

鈥淚 do not believe that strategy to be working very well,鈥� Mr. O鈥橦anlon wrote in a blog post last week, 鈥渂ut in fairness, it is not clear that another strategy would do better.鈥澛�

In Beijing this week, Kerry is expected to try a new tact. He has cited North Korea鈥檚 Jan. 6 nuclear test as proof that China has not done enough to curb the government it has fitfully supported for six decades.聽

鈥淲e cannot continue business as usual,鈥� he said earlier this month.

The US and its regional allies, Japan and South Korea, say their new plan is to boost sanctions and go on the defensive against聽North Korea if China fails to do more, The New York Times reports:聽

Kerry plans to argue for a tough unilateral response from China when he meets with the country鈥檚 top officials on Wednesday, a senior US diplomat told Reuters. He will also stress the need for a united front in response to North Korea鈥檚 nuclear test through additional UN sanctions.

It is particularly important to "cut off avenues of proliferation and retard North Korea's ability to gain the wherewithal to advance its nuclear and its missile programs," the diplomat said.聽

"Despite the determination and efforts of the Chinese government, clearly there is more that they can do.鈥�