US VICE-PRESIDENT Mike Pence continued his antiPyongyang tour of east Asia yesterday, reaching agreement with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the need to confront North Korea.

But he was less successful on the economic front, with Tokyo briefing that it still hopes to bring Washington back into the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Mr Pence met Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso in Tokyo to launch the US-Japan economic dialogue, saying that President Donald Trump prefers to negotiate economic deals on a bilateral basis.