North Korea taking 'right direction' by politically resolving issues in Peninsula, says Xi Jinping in Pyongyang-run newspaper

Seoul: Chinese president Xi Jinping said North Korea is taking the “right direction” by politically resolving issues in the Korean Peninsula, in a rare op-ed published by a North Korean state newspaper on Wednesday, a day before Xi visits Pyongyang to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. [caption id=“attachment_4549911” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Chinese premier Xi Jinping with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. AP[/caption] Xi didn’t mention the stalled nuclear weapons talks between Washington and Pyongyang in the Rodong Sinmun article. But experts say Xi, during his summit with Kim, will likely endorse North Korean calls for an incremental disarmament process, in which every action Pyongyang takes it met with US concessions on sanctions and security issues. Xi said his visit on Thursday and Friday would “strengthen strategic communication and exchange” between the traditional allies. Nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea have been on a standstill since February when a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump collapsed over what the Americans described as excessive North Korean demands for sanctions relief in exchange for only a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities. Kim has said he would seek a “new way” if the US persists with sanctions and pressure against North Korea. The Trump administration has said sanctions will remain in place until the North commits to fully and verifiably relinquishing its nuclear and missile program upfront. Kim met Xi four times in China last year during a diplomatic outreach that also included meetings with Trump, South Korean president Moon Jae-in and Russian president Vladimir Putin.