Kim looking to ‘achieve results’ in 2nd summit with Trump

Beijing — North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, reportedly has told the leader of his only major ally, China, that he wants to “achieve results” on the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula in a second summit with President Donald Trump.

The comments, contained in reports today from Chinese and North Korean state media, came a day after Kim left Beijing on his special armored train for Pyongyang after a two-day visit to the Chinese capital.

Kim’s trip to China — his fourth in the past 10 months — is believed to be an effort to coordinate with Beijing ahead of a possible second summit with Trump. It comes after U.S. and North Korean officials are thought to have met in Vietnam to discuss the site of the summit.

North Korea will “make efforts for the second summit between (North Korean) and U.S. leaders to achieve results that will be welcomed by the international community,” Kim was quoted as saying by China’s official Xinhua News Agency.

All sides should “jointly push for a comprehensive resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue” and North Korea would “continue sticking to the stance of denuclearization and resolving the Korean Peninsula issue through dialogue and consultation,” Xinhua quoted Kim as saying.

Kim also said North Korea hopes its “legitimate concerns” would be given due respect, a reference to Pyongyang’s desire for security guarantees and a possible peace treaty to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War.

He also credited President Xi Jinping with helping reduce regional tensions, saying “the Korean Peninsula situation has been easing since last year, and China’s important role in this process is obvious to all.”

It wasn’t clear from the reports if Kim was back in the North, but his train presumably would arrive sometime today.

Xi was quoted as saying that China supports the U.S.-North Korea summits and hopes the two sides “will meet each other halfway.” The North said in its report that Xi accepted an invitation to visit North Korea, although details of when he might come were not given.

Xi has yet to visit North Korea since taking office in 2012.