China welcomes proposed US-N Korea talks

Beijing [China], Mar 9 (ANI): China on Friday welcomed United States President Donald Trump's decision to meet with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, calling it 'a positive message' and 'a step in the right direction'.

"We welcome the positive message that North Korea and the US sent out on their direct dialogue," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.

"With regard to the argument that the US-led multilayered sanctions and pressure on the North has paid off forcing Pyongyang to talks, China has fully implemented United Nations Security Council resolutions for a long time and that the efforts have cost Beijing much," he added.

Geng further said that efforts on achieving the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula was moving on in the right direction and called for support for relevant countries to focus on resolving Pyongyang's nuclear programme through dialogue and cooperation, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The Chinese spokesperson called on the countries to create the 'political determination' soon for pursuing both bilateral and multilateral talks on the North Korean nuclear issue, adding that China will play its part to the utmost.

China was a host country of the long-halted six-party denuclearisation talks, which also involved the two Koreas, the US, Japan and Russia. They were last held in late 2008.

Calling the planned US-North Korea talks a "step forward," Geng urged the two sides to build mutual trust through dialogue.

On Thursday, President Trump accepted an invitation and agreed to meet Kim by May. However, he stated that sanctions on North Korea would remain in place until the Communist country achieved denuclearisation.

President Trump received Kim's invitation from a South Korean delegation, led by National Security Office Chief Chung Eui-yong.

The South Korean delegation is on a two-day visit to update American officials on their recent talks with Kim in Pyongyang.

Other members of the delegation included Suh Hoon, Chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Chun Hae-sung, Vice Minister of Unification Ministry, Yun Kun-young, a Cheong Wa Dae (presidential Blue House) official, and Kim Sang-gyun, a senior NIS Director.

Envoys of South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited Pyongyang earlier this week and were hosted at a welcome dinner by Kim at the headquarters of the ruling Worker's Party.

The two Koreas also agreed to hold summit-level talks at the border village of Panmunjom, located in the heavily guarded Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which acts as the de facto border between North and South Korea. (ANI)