'Korean Peninsula Problem Back on Dialogue' - China Praises US, N Korea Efforts

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China supports Washington's and Pyongyang's efforts toward boosting mutual trust, and promoting denuclearization and political settlement to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said on Wednesday, commenting on US and North Korean leaders' pledges to continue dialogue.

"China supports North Korea and the United States… in the maintenance of stable positive dynamics of cooperation, in mutual trust strengthening, and in the improvement of relations between the sides," Lu said, stressing that China supported a political solution to the Korean Peninsula problem.

He praised progress reached in Korean Peninsula settlement in 2018.

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"Over the past year, the situation on the Korean Peninsula has seen important positive changes. The Korean Peninsula problem has got back on dialogue and consultations' track, and the North Korea-South Korea relations have improved significantly. China supports Pyongyang in implementing serious measures toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Lu added.

The statement was made after on Tuesday North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that he wanted to improve relations with the United States, and a day later US President Donald Trump reiterated his readiness to hold a new meeting with Kim.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula has greatly improved in 2018, with Kim engaging in an active dialogue with both South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump. During the landmark Kim-Trump Singapore summit in June 2018, the two leaders agreed that North Korea would make efforts to promote the complete denuclearisation of the peninsula in exchange for the United States and South Korea freezing their military drills as well as the potential removal of US sanctions.