Trump Angles for a Win in Asia

U.S. President Donald Trump embarks on a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific at a time of geopolitical flux. The trip comes on the heels of a major leadership transition in China and a snap election in Japan. Those changes have strengthened Xi Jinping and Shinzo Abe, the leaders of the region's two biggest economies, which are also geopolitical rivals. Meanwhile, Washington is entangled in controversy at home. But the United States faces a far more pressing challenge: a North Korea that is quickly approaching its objective of a credible nuclear deterrent -- a red line for the United States. The president can be expected to exhort both allies and rivals to step up their efforts to contain Pyongyang. However, Washington's problems at home, its demands for trade reassessments and the ongoing strategic realignments in the region will complicate its efforts to reaffirm its commitments and to advance its priorities....