On Tuesday, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said Washington does not plan to suspend any more joint military drills with South Korea. He said the US had halted some major exercises as a good-faith gesture to support talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), while some smaller drills continuing. Although James Mattis has said that no decisions have been made about major exercises with South Korea scheduled for next year, he also noted that the suspension of drills this summer as a concession to Pyongyang for the purpose of denuclearization was not open-ended. The move is expected to further chill US-DPRK relations. Earlier, US President Donald Trump canceled a bilateral meeting between senior officials, citing what he saw "slow progress" over the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The United States has made no request to South Korea for talks about the resumption of their joint annual military drills, South Korea's presidential Blue House said Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign ministry has responded to America's announcement, saying all sides must take a pragmatic and a versatile approach to the Korean Peninsula issue. Spokesperson Hua Chunying said the parties involved should face each other and push forward the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Cheng Xiaohe, an associate professor at Renmin University's School of International Studies, told CGTN that he personally believe that it's too early to say that the United States and South Korea will resume their military exercises very soon. 

The professor added that because the US and South Korean sides already decided they're going to suspend their military exercises for this year, and the DPRK has already suspended its nuclear and missile test before the two countries took the actions.

Professor Cheng also said the United States and South Korea may resume joint military drills earlier next year if it happens, and there are still six more months left. The US and South Korea may find a way to work out their differences and reach a consensus.

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