China, N Korea discuss 'true peace' on the Korean Peninsula

China's President Xi Jingping and the DPRK's leader Kim Jong-un assessed the summit meeting Kim had with US President Donald Trump in Singapore last week and exchanged opinions on ways to resolve the issue of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (centre-L) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre-R) meet in Beijing, China, in this undated photo released June 20, 2018.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (centre-L) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre-R) meet in Beijing, China, in this undated photo released June 20, 2018.

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping came to an understanding on issues that were discussed at a summit between the two leaders, including denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the North’s state media said on Wednesday.

Kim and Xi assessed the historic meeting Kim had with US President Donald Trump in Singapore last week and exchanged opinions on ways to resolve the issue of denuclearisation, KCNA reported.

The North Korean leader also promised during a meeting with Xi in Beijing to co-operate with Chinese officials to secure “true peace” in the process of “opening a new future” on the Korean peninsula, it said.

Kim’s two-day visit to Beijing will end later on Wednesday, according to state media in China and North Korea. It follows his Singapore summit, where Kim and Trump reaffirmed a commitment to work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (2nd L) and his wife Ri Sol-ju (L) pose beside Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd R) and his wife Peng Liyuan (R) in Beijing, China, in this undated photo released June 20, 2018 by North Korea's KCNA to Reuters.

Trump surprised officials in South Korea and the United States after that meeting by saying he would end “provocative” joint US-South Korean military exercises.

The United States and South Korea said on Tuesday they had agreed to suspend a joint military exercise scheduled for August, although decisions regarding subsequent drills have not yet been made.

On Wednesday, South Korean foreign minister Kang Kyung-hwa said the decision to suspend the exercise could be reconsidered based on future developments with North Korea.

“I think we’ve made it clear this is a goodwill gesture to strengthen dialogue momentum,” Kang said.

“It’s not irreversible. They could come back if the dialogue loses speed, or if North Korea doesn’t live up to its denuclearisation commitment,” she said.

Kim is on his third visit to China this year. Xi offered high praise to the North Korean leader on Tuesday for the “positive outcome” of last week’s summit with Trump.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju arriving in Beijing, China, in this undated photo released June 20, 2018 by KCNA to Reuters.

KCNA also reported that Xi said relations between China and North Korea had entered a new level of development since Kim’s first visit in March and that the agreements made between the two leaders were being carried out “one-by-one.”

Kim also told Xi he was willing to bolster bilateral friendship and co-operation, it said.

It was widely expected that Kim would visit Beijing to brief Xi on his summit with Trump, which included Pyongyang agreeing to hand over the remains of troops missing from the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce not a peace treaty.

Two US officials said on Tuesday North Korea could start the remains process within the next few days.

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