Obama won't back down to KoreaTOKYO -- President Obama slapped down North Korea today with a stern warning that the United States and its Asian partners "will not be cowed" by the hermit kingdom's continued defiance over nuclear weapons.
"Respect cannot be earned through belligerence," Obama told an audience of 1,500 prominent Japanese during a 40-minute address.
"It should be clear where that path leads," he added vowing to "continue to send a clear message through our actions, and not just our words: North Korea's refusal to meet its international obligations will lead only to less security, not more."
But the president took a different tack with China, welcoming the nation's ascendance on the world stage.
"We welcome China's efforts to play a greater role on the world stage, a role in which their growing economy is joined by growing responsibility," he said.
Obama also said China's growth is not to be feared.
"In an interconnected world, power does not need to be a zero-sum game, and nations need not fear the success of another," he said.
Earlier the president and Japanese Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama vowed to revitalize their strained security alliance as they adapt to a rising China, which is set to overtake Japan as the world's No. 2 economy.
But they left unresolved a feud over a US military base on Okinawa that has frayed Washington's ties with Hatoyama's government.
"I told him that the US-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of everything," Hatoyama said after their summit. "But given the changing times and global environment, I would like to deepen the alliance and create a new US-Japan alliance that is constructive and future oriented."
Obama, on his first Asian tour as president, agreed.
"Our alliance will endure, and our efforts will be focused on revitalizing that friendship so that it's even stronger and more successful in meeting the challenges of the 21st century."
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