China, Trump welcome decision

BEIJING/WASHINGTON : China and the US on Saturday welcomed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s decision to halt nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches.

China, the North’s neighbour and key economic and diplomatic benefactor, said a nuclear-free Korean peninsula is in line with the common interest of the people in the region and hoped Pyongyang will continue on the path of development.

US President Donald Trump called the move a “big progress ”.

“This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit,” he tweeted.

Kim’s announcement came weeks after his “unofficial visit” to Beijing, where he met President Xi Jinping as well as senior Chinese officials.

China believes the decision will help ease the situation and promote the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement.