SHANGHAI (REUTERS, AFP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to make a second summit with United States President Donald Trump achieve a result that would be welcomed by the international community, China’s Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday (Jan 10) after Mr Kim visited Beijing.

Mr Kim said he hoped relevant sides would take North Korea’s “reasonable concerns” seriously and actively respond to them to promote a comprehensive resolution to the Korean peninsula issue, China’s official news agency said.

The North Korean leader met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing during his two-day visit to the Chinese capital this week, and they reiterated their support for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

Mr Xi told Mr Kim that Beijing backs the North Korean leader’s possible second summit with Mr Trump and hopes they “meet each other halfway”, Xinhua reported.

“Political settlement of the (Korean) peninsula issue faces a rare historic opportunity,” Mr Xi said during Mr Kim’s visit, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Discussions between the US and North Korea over Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal have stalled since Mr Kim and Mr Trump’s high-profile first summit in Singapore in June where they issued a vaguely worded declaration about denuclearisation. 

The US insists that United Nations sanctions must remain in place until North Korea gives up its weapons, while Pyongyang wants them immediately eased. China also wants the sanctions to be relaxed. 

“China hopes that the DPRK and the United States will meet each other halfway,” Mr Xi said. He added that China stands ready to play a “positive and constructive role” to maintain peace and stability and achieve denuclearisation on the peninsula. 

Mr Trump said on Sunday that the US and North Korea are negotiating the location of their next summit.

More Trump-Kim summit special reports and analyses here

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