President tells Moon he backs DPRK talks

China supports the efforts of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea to push for dialogue and communication for the resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.

China has always supported moves by the DPRK and ROK to improve relations, Xi told his ROK counterpart, Moon Jae-in, in a phone call.

The Korean Peninsula situation is facing both challenges and opportunities, Xi said, adding that it is hoped the ROK-hosted Pyeongchang Winter Olympics brings opportunities for DPRK-ROK dialogue and will become a starting place for improvement on the Korean Peninsula issue.

China would like to enhance communication and cooperation with all sides, including the ROK, to push for improvement of the situation, Xi said.

In the phone call, Moon spoke of the outcomes of the ROK’s high-level dialogue with the DPRK, saying that Seoul considers the key role that China plays in the Korean Peninsula issue to be very important.

Moon expressed gratitude for China’s support of the north-south dialogue and China’s efforts to push forward the resolution through dialogue and maintain the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.

The ROK is willing to make joint efforts with China to resolve the problems through dialogue and negotiation, and maintain the region’s peace and stability, Moon said.

On Tuesday, the ROK and the DPRK held their first senior-level dialogue in about two years, agreeing to hold military talks to ease tensions. The DPRK agreed to send its athletes and cheering squads to the ROK-hosted Winter Olympics in February.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a regular news conference on Wednesday that it is encouraging that the two sides “show each other goodwill and shake hands at a time when the situation of the Korean Peninsula is quite tense”.

In the phone call, Xi mentioned Moon’s recent state visit to China, saying that the two sides have reached important consensus on developing their strategic cooperative partnership.

China would like to make joint efforts with the Republic of Korea to enhance strategic communication, push forward substantial cooperation, properly handle sensitive issues and jointly maintain regional peace and stability.

China supports the ROK’s hosting of the Winter Olympic Games and wishes it a successful sports event, Xi said.