China ‘fully supports’ peace push on Korean peninsula

CHINA is willing to continue playing a positive role to seek a political resolution for the Korean peninsula, its top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, told North Korea’s foreign minister as diplomatic efforts gather pace.

China is North Korea’s most important economic and diplomatic backer, despite its anger at North Korea’s repeated nuclear and missile tests, and its support for strong United Nations sanctions against the North.

However, China has also welcomed moves by North Korea to improve ties with South Korea and the United States.

Wang is in the North’s capital, Pyongyang, after last week’s historic meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the North’s Kim Jong-un, when both pledged to improve ties.

The North surprised the world several days before that summit by saying it would dismantle its nuclear test site to transparently guarantee its dramatic commitment to stop all nuclear and missile tests. Late on Wednesday, China’s foreign ministry cited Wang as offering North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho his congratulations for the successful meeting between the leaders of the North and South.

China fully supported North Korea’s commitment to denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula as well as its decision to concentrate its efforts on economic development, Wang said during his trip to Pyongyang.

“We hope the dialogue between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States will be conducted successfully and that substantial progress will be made,” he said about an upcoming meeting between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

China also fully supported a resolution of North Korea’s reasonable and legitimate security concerns and the improvement of inter-Korean relations, he said.

The Chinese ministry said Wang had also met Kim, but did not immediately provide any other details. –