U.S. President Donald tweeted early Wednesday that there is “a good chance” North Korea leader Kim Jong Un will do “what is right for his people and for humanity” by moving to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.
Trump said he looks forward to his planned meeting with Kim but emphasized the need to keep up “maximum sanctions and pressure” in the meantime.
China said during Kim’s secretive visit to Beijing, he confirmed his commitment to denuclearize the Korean peninsula and engage in talks with the United States and South Korea.
According to China’s official Xinhua news agency, Kim made the unofficial visit from Sunday through Wednesday and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump said Xi sent him a message saying his meeting with Kim went well and that the North Korea leader looked forward to meeting with Trump.
“Received message last night from XI JINPING of China that his meeting with KIM JONG UN went very well and that KIM looks forward to his meeting with me. In the meantime, and unfortunately, maximum sanctions and pressure must be maintained at all cost!” Trump tweeted.
In another post, Trump touted his approach toward North Korea. “For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility.” he said in a tweet.
“We see this development as further evidence that our campaign of maximum pressure is creating the appropriate atmosphere for dialogue with North Korea,”said White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Kim’s visit to China was shrouded in secrecy and confirmed by Chinese state media Xinhua News Agency only after Kim had left the country.
According Xinhua’s report, the two leaders reiterated the importance of maintaining the close China-North Korea alliance.
On the issue of denuclearization, Xi told Kim that China “sticks to the goal of denuclearization of the peninsula,”according to Xinhua.The agency said Kim replied that he is prepared to resolve “the issue of the denuclearization” as long as South Korea and the United States “respond to our efforts with goodwill, create an atmosphere of peace and stability, while taking progressive and synchronous measures for the realization of peace.”
The North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday reported on Kim’s visit to China, but did not mention a promise to denuclearize or the upcoming summits with the U.S. and South Korea.
Earlier this month, Trump agreed to sit down with Kim Jong Un, whom he once called “little rocket man”, to discuss ending North Korea’s nuclear program.
Outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said a “dramatic” and surprising change of posture by the North Korean leader led Trump to agree to the meeting. Trump said while he consulted with others, he made this decision to meet with Kim by himself.
In the last two years, North Korea has launched numerous medium and long-range ballistic missiles and conducted two nuclear tests, in large part to develop an capability to target U.S. mainland cities with a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile.
In response, the Trump administration employed what it called a “maximum pressure strategy,” and led international efforts to pressure Pyongyang to halt its nuclear program by imposing tough sanctions that ban billions of dollars worth of North Korean coal, iron ore, clothing products and seafood exports. The Trump administration has also said that, if necessary, it is prepared to use military force to eliminate the nuclear threat.
In the last few months, Kim made a dramatic shift from his non-negotiable position that North Korea is now a nuclear weapons state. Instead he suspended nuclear and missile tests, participated in Winter Olympics in South Korea, and offered to engage in nuclear talks. He is expected to meet with South Korean President Moon-Jae-in next month and with Trump “by May.”
Brian Padden contributed to this report.
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