U.N. Security Council Meets After Missile Launch By North Korea

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

The U.N. Security Council has condemned this missile test that North Korea conducted over the weekend. This was Pyongyang's first major challenge to the Trump administration, and it came while President Trump was hosting his Japanese counterpart for a weekend of golf in Florida. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports on how the White House is responding.

MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Japan's prime minister called the missile launch absolutely intolerable. President Trump would only say that the U.S. stands behind Japan 100 percent. Though he didn't mention South Korea in those remarks, Asia hands who were skeptical of Trump before sounded a bit more reassured.

MICHAEL GREEN: I would almost call it Trump foreign policy 2.0 in Asia.

KELEMEN: That's Michael Green, aand say, round up the usual suspects and go through the usual strongly worded statement and consultation with allies.

KELEMEN: The Obama administration did leave behind a playbook, though, according to Jon Wolfsthal, a nonproliferation expert now with Harvard University.

JON WOLFSTHAL: How he would engage the Chinese, how he would work to the U.N., what unilateral and bilateral sanctions we could take with our friends in the region, and it was very detailed.

KELEMEN: The U.S. could, for instance, impose sanctions on Chinese banks or companies that do business with North Korea. That would step up the pressure on China to rein in Pyongyang. The former Obama White House aide says the Trump administration could also beef up its military alliance with Japan and South Korea. At the same time,