China pursues dialogue on Korean Peninsula

World Today

As the Trump-Kim summit approaches, China has played a key role in pursuing dialogue on the Korean Peninsula.

CGTN’s Zheng Yibing looks at China’s position on the issues.

Twice in recent weeks, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Kim Jong Un. They reached a consensus on achieving a political resolution to the peninsula nuclear issue. China played an important role in getting to this place.

“Back to the time of the six-party talks, China played an active part,” Gao Hong, a professor at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said. “Its basic standpoint was promoting dialogue, instead of confrontation. This has never changed although the six-party mechanism was hampered in recent years.”

To achieve peace, China now has made two proposals. One is called “suspension-for-suspension.” This involves the suspension of the DPRK’s nuclear and missile activities, and the suspension of joint military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea. Another proposal is “dual-track” – a call for denuclearization while establishing protocols to achieve peace, and preserve it.

“The proposals play important roles to achieve peace through dialogues, and they have been recognized by the parties involved, including DPRK, ROK, Japan and the US,” Rong Ying, Vice President of China Institute of International Studies said.

The U.S. took credit for the DPRK’s recent offer to denuclearize announced in the Panmunjom. But Washington also vowed to maintain pressure on the DPRK, until complete denuclearization is achieved. China said this hard-won situation needs a different approach.

“We hope the two sides will continue to strengthen dialogue, improve relations, and play a positive role in promoting the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,” Hua Chunying, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said. “The meeting between leaders of the DPRK and the US is the key to finding a way to establish lasting peace on the peninsula and begin the process of denuclearization. We hope the DPRK and the US will continue to work with each other, promote goodwill, and actively advance preparations for the leaders’ meeting, which is the result that both sides and the international community hope to see.”


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