The U.S. Senate has passed Washington's annual defense budget bill... which now awaits President Trump's signature.
The bill states North Korea's complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization as a key policy goal,... and includes tough measures on China, including stricter investment reviews and export controls.
Kim Hyo-sun tells us more.
The U.S. Senate passed a 716 billion U.S. dollar defense bill on Wednesday with 87 votes in favor and ten against.
The National Defense Authorization Act,... which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week will now be sent to the White House for President Trump's expected signature.
The bill sets the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea as a major goal of Washington's diplomacy,... noting that the North's nuclear program poses a grave threat to not only the U.S. but also the Indo-Pacific region.
It also prohibits the use of the defense budget to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea to under 22-thousand unless the defense secretary can show that such a move does not significantly undermine the security of Washington's allies in the region and it has been fully consulted with its allies, including Seoul and Tokyo.
The bill includes tough measures on China,... including a ban on Beijing's participation in the Rim of the Pacific naval exercises until it stops militarizing islands in the South China Sea.
The bi-annual joint drill is a large naval exercise that involves 26 nations to showcase their military cooperation.
The legislation also requires the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to review whether Beijing's investment in the U.S. threatens national security,... while intensifying export controls on U.S. technology.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.