Chinese President Xi Jinping -AP
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged restraint on North Korea in a phone call with Donald Trump Monday, as Japan joined drills with an American super carrier heading to the Korean peninsula. The US leader has repeatedly called on China, the North's sole major ally, to do more to rein in Pyongyang, as tensions in the flashpoint region soar amid speculation it will conduct another nuclear test.
(China) hopes that the relevant parties can maintain restraint and avoid actions that would increase tensions in the Korean Peninsula, Xi said according to the foreign ministry. The only way to realize denuclearization in the Korean peninsula and quickly resolve North Korea's nuclear problem is for each relevant party to fulfill its duties.
The conversation the second since their summit at Trump's luxury resort in Florida early this month highlights rising concern in Beijing that tensions between Washington and Pyongyang could spiral into military conflict.The international situation is rapidly changing, it is essential that China and the US maintain a close contact and exchange opinions on important matters in a timely manner, Xi told Trump.
Trump also spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday, discussing the joint drills under way between the US carrier Carl Vinson and Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force. We completely agreed that we strongly demand restraint by North Korea, which has repeatedly taken dangerous provocative actions, Abe told reporters after the call.
Tensions have soared in recent months as North Korean missile tests have brought ever-more bellicose warnings from Trump's administration and repeated demands for China do more to help.
Despite its longstanding ties with the North, China has stepped up pressure, announcing in February that it was halting all imports of coal from North Korea a crucial earner for Pyongyang for the rest of the year.
AFP, Beijing
Latest News