Working non-stop to ease N Korea tensions: China
China on Wednesday said it has made “unremitting” efforts to ease tensions with North Korea after US President Donald Trump tweeted Beijing had not succeeded in helping.
Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China was not the “focus and the crux” of the issue on the Korean peninsula and it has stepped up efforts to promote peace talks.
“In order to resolve the Korean peninsula nuclear issue, China has been making unremitting efforts and we have been playing an important and constructive role,” Geng said.
“To sum up, our contributions are recognised by all and our efforts are indispensable.”
Trump tweeted that while he appreciated the efforts of President Xi Jinping and China to help with North Korea, “it has not worked out. At least I know China tried!”
The tweet came a day after the death of Otto Warmbier -- a US student who returned in a coma from a prison in North Korea -and on the eve of a US-China strategic security dialogue.
Since coming to office Trump has tried to get Beijing to put pressure on its ally Pyongyang to curb its nuclear and missile programmes.
It was unclear if the tweet was a signal that those efforts are perceived to have failed. That conclusion could be seen as a warning of unilateral US action to follow.
CHINA INVITES IVANKA, KUSHNER TO VISIT
China has invited Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to visit Beijing later this year, a US official said on Tuesday.
China’s overture appeared aimed at deepening engagement with the influential young couple, who played a role in the first summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in April.