China hopes for ‘new step’ in denuclearisation during summit
BEIJING: China's foreign minister expressed hope yesterday that US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will take a ‘new step' toward denuclearisation and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Wang Yi made the remark in Beijing a day before Trump and Kim kick off a two-day summit in Hanoi, Yonhap news agency reported, quoting the ministry's office.
“This year, the whole world is facing hope and challenges,” Wang was quoted as saying by his office.
This year, the whole world is facing hope and challenges.
“This week, in particular, is a very important period that draws the international community's attention.”
“The second North Korea-US summit is soon to be held and a new step is expected to be taken with regard to denuclearisation and establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula,” he added. Kim arrived in Hanoi after more than a 60-hour train trip from Pyongyang through China.
He didn't make a widely expected stop in Beijing on his way to the Vietnamese capital and instead took what is seen as the shortest route running through the central region of the country.
Kim visited Beijing early last month and held his fourth summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in less than a year.
The meeting came before Pyongyang and Washington decided to hold their second summit.
Wang Yi, China foreign minister