U.S., North Korea talks 'more important than anything', South Korea
tells China
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[December 23, 2019]
By Ben Blanchard
BEIJING (Reuters) - It is "more important
than anything" to keep up the momentum for talks between the United
States and North Korea, South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Chinese
President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday.
North Korea has set a year-end deadline for the United States to change
what it says is a policy of hostility amid a stalemate in efforts to
make progress on their pledge to end the North's nuclear program and
establish lasting peace.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump have met
three times since June 2018, but there has been no substantive progress
in dialogue while the North demanded crushing international sanctions be
lifted first.
On Saturday, state media said the United States would "pay dearly" for
taking issue with the North's human rights record and said Washington's
"malicious words" would only aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
China is North Korea's most important diplomatic backer and trading
partner, and Moon took his message about the significance of talks
straight to Xi.
"It is more important than anything to keep up the momentum for dialogue
between North Korea and the United States," Moon said, according to his
spokeswoman Ko Min-jung who was present at the meeting in Beijing's
Great Hall of the People.
Ko cited Xi as saying that many people are concerned about the tense
situation on the Korean peninsula.
"China and South Korea should gather strength to help North Korea and
the United States sustain the momentum for dialogue," she cited Xi as
saying.
Earlier, Moon's office quoted him as saying that the suspension of
U.S.-North Korea talks and rising tensions was not beneficial for South
Korea, China or North Korea.
NEW IMPETUS
Xi told Moon that China supports South Korea's efforts to improve ties
with North Korea and inject new impetus into promoting peace talks,
China's Foreign Ministry said.
China and South Korea both advocate that the Korean peninsula issue be
resolved through dialogue and consultation and are a "firm force for
maintaining stability and promoting talks", the ministry paraphrased Xi
as saying.
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South Korea's President Moon Jae-in addresses the 74th session of
the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York
City, New York, U.S., September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Moon is visiting China for a trilateral meeting between him,
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in
the southwestern city of Chengdu.
Though various economic matters will also be on the agenda - as well
as tensions between Seoul and Tokyo - North Korea appears likely to
dominate the agenda.
U.S. special envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun met with two
senior Chinese diplomats during his two-day visit to Beijing last
week, following similar meeting in South Korea and Japan days
earlier, as diplomats make last-ditch attempts to prevent new
confrontation.
Beijing, jointly with Russia, proposed last week that the United
Nations Security Council lift some sanctions in what it calls an
attempt to break the current deadlock and seek to build support.
But it's unclear whether Beijing can convince Seoul and Tokyo to
break ranks from Washington, which has made its opposition clear and
can veto any resolution.
Though South Korea sees China as instrumental in reviving
negotiations, it has so far sidestepped questions on whether it
supports the new proposal by Beijing and Moscow.
For its part, Japan has historically been a staunch supporter of
sanctions against North Korea.
Japan Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Naoki Okada, speaking to
reporters after Abe held his own meeting with Xi in Beijing, said Xi
had asked Japan to support the joint Chinese-Russian proposal.
But Japan considers easing sanctions on North Korea "still
premature", Okada said.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Norihiko
Shirouzu, and Hyonhee Shin and Jack Kim in Seoul; editing by Michael
Perry, Ed Osmond and Larry King)
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