North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has met China’s Xi Jinping for the first time since historic intra-Korean talks and pledged to shut down its nuclear weapons program. It is Kim’s second visit to China in a several weeks.
“Xi held talks with Kim and hosted a welcome banquet for him,” China’s state-run Xinhua agency reported on Tuesday. Chinese state media have confirmed that the leaders shared a “cordial and friendly atmosphere” during the talks and a luncheon in the Chinese city of Dalian.
The duo discussed bilateral relations between Beijing and Pyongyang as well as “issues of common concern.”
BREAKING: Chinese President #XiJinping, DPRK top leader #KimJongUn holds talks in NE China's Dalian on May 7-8 pic.twitter.com/zzPoFLItPb
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) May 8, 2018
Kim said that there would be “no need” for North Korea to be a nuclear state as soon as “relevant parties abolish their hostile policies and remove security threats.”
Meanwhile, Trump, who is to meet Kim in the nearest future, tweeted that he will discuss North Korea with the Chinese leader on Tuesday morning.
It is Kim’s second trip to neighboring China since March, when he met Xi during his first foreign trip since taking office. After the talks Kim indicated that Pyongyang may be ready for denuclearization.
The surprise visit came ahead of landmark talks between Pyongyang and Seoul in the ‘peace village’ of Panmunjom on April 27. At that time, Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed a declaration vowing denuclearization, a halt to hostile acts, and a push for joint talks with the US and China.
Beijing hailed the agreement that ends “the state of war” and said it “fully supports” North Korea’s commitment, as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid a rare visit to Pyongyang last week.
Tensions have been mounting on the Korean Peninsula until recently, with the North conducting nuclear and missile tests, citing a threat to its security from outside, particularly US war games in the region. While Beijing and Moscow have called for a diplomatic approach, Washington continued its pressure and even threatened Pyongyang with military action.
Despite US President Donald Trump toning down the bellicose rhetoric, the US is not going to make any concessions until North Korea makes even more of its own. Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, even said that North Korea’s denuclearization may follow the Libya model, in which the late leader, Muammar Gaddafi, got rid of the nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief in 2003.
“You don’t need nukes. China will protect you from the Americans, and Korea will side with China to help defeat the round-eye empire when knuckle-head kicks off WW3” — Zing Ping King. (a.k.a. King Zing Ping)
They held a VERY secret meeting…
https://youtu.be/tu5piMRY1fU?t=1