Chinese President Xi Jinping pushed U.S. President Donald Trump to "show flexibility" on Korean Peninsula issues, including the "timely" easing of sanctions, during their recent meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday. 

Wang, during a joint press conference with visiting Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, told reporters that during the Xi-Trump summit, the Chinese president briefed the U.S. president on China’s principled position on Korean Peninsula issues. 

President Xi also urged the U.S. side to meet the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) halfway in order to find a solution to each other's concerns through dialogue, Wang added.  

The Chinese foreign minister also recalled Xi’s meeting with Republic of Korea (ROK) President Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of the G20 summit, saying the two leaders exchanged views on Korean Peninsula issues and Xi supported the ROK to continue its efforts. 

President Xi made a successful state visit to the DPRK prior to his G20 trip, with both Xi and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un confirming their adherence to a political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issues. 

On Sunday, Trump crossed the inter-Korean border with Kim. The two leaders held their third summit in the border village of Panmunjom and agreed to resume stalled talks. 

Saying it is the first time that the leaders of the U.S. and the DPRK have shaken hands in Panmunjom, a symbol of confrontation and division, the Chinese foreign minister said the scene is a response to the expectations of the people and to the trend of the times.  

It shows that the leaders of the two countries are willing to seek consensus and solve problems through dialogue and negotiation, which is an important step in the right direction, Wang added. 

Noting that all sides have launched a new round of positive interaction around Korean Peninsula issues, Wang said China welcomes and supports this and looks forward to more good news from the Korean Peninsula to the world in the future. 

He also said that the world has entered the 21st century, but there are still remnants of the Cold War on the Peninsula. The process of peace, stability and denuclearization of the Peninsula has been constrained by hostility and mutual distrust between the parties.  

This abnormal phenomenon should have ended long ago, Wang stressed, adding there is a saying that nothing is difficult in the world, as long as you are willing to climb. 

Given this rare peaceful opportunity, the Chinese foreign minister hoped that the political will of the leaders of the two countries will be translated into substantive progress in dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible.  

Together with all parties, we will make joint efforts to achieve the four major goals reached by the leaders of the U.S. and the DPRK at their summit in Singapore, in particular the denuclearization of the Peninsula and the establishment of a peace mechanism on the Peninsula, Wang said.  

He added we should speed up the process of political settlement and achieve long-term stability on the Peninsula at an early date. 

(Cover: Wang Yi speaks at a joint press conference with visiting Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard in Beijing, July 2, 2019. /Chinese Foreign Ministry Website Photo)