Chinese President Xi Jinping offered high praise to visiting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday, lauding the “positive” outcome of his historic summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and promising unwavering friendship.
Meeting Mr. Kim on his third trip to China this year, and just a week after Mr. Kim met Mr. Trump in Singapore, Mr. Xi said China was willing to keep playing a positive role to promote the peace process on the Korean peninsula.
Peace mechanism
Mr. Xi told Mr. Kim that he was very happy to see the “positive” outcome of his meeting with Mr. Trump, and the important consensus reached on denuclearisation and setting up a lasting peace mechanism, according to Chinese state television.
Mr. Kim told Mr. Xi that he hoped to work with China and other parties to push the peace process, Chinese state television said.
Mr. Xi said he was pleased to see North Korea’s decision to promote economic reforms, adding that China’s own reform and opening up process had meant the Chinese people’s eyes had been open to the world.
Meanwhile, South Korea and the Pentagon announced that they would halt the annual Freedom Guardian military drill scheduled for August.
Freedom Guardian drill
“South Korea and the United States have agreed to suspend all planning activities regarding the Freedom Guardian military drill scheduled for August,” South Korea’s Defence Ministry said. The Pentagon confirmed the suspension, adding that there would be a meeting of the Secretaries of Defence and State as well as the U.S. National Security Adviser on the issue this week.
Last year, 17,500 American and more than 50,000 South Korean troops joined the Ulchi Freedom Guardian drills, although the exercise is mostly focused on computerised simulations rather than field exercises. The U.S.-South Korean exercise calendar hits a high point every spring with the Foal Eagle and Max Thunder drills, which both wrapped up last month.
