Politics
12:13, 12-Aug-2017
Xi urges restraint over DPRK tensions in phone talk with Trump
["china","north america"]
Share
Copied
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged restraint on the Korean Peninsula in phone call with his US counterpart Donald Trump on Saturday.
President Xi emphasized that China and the US share the same interests on the denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Xi said China hopes that the parties concerned will exercise restraint and refrain from taking any action that will aggravate tensions on the Peninsula. Dialogue, negotiations and political settlement are fundamental ways out for Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, added Xi.
The Chinese leader expressed Beijing's willingness to maintain communication with the US to appropriately resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.
Trump responded that the US side recognized China's efforts in resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and wished to maintain close communication and coordination with China in international affairs.
Xi also pointed out China attaches importance to Trump's upcoming visit within this year while Trump said he is looking forward to the visit.
The latest tensions on the Korean Peninsula started on July 28 when the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted its second Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) test in a month.
The US responded by sending two B-1B bombers and signing new sanctions against Pyongyang into law. The UN also adopted a US-drafted resolution that significantly strengthened sanctions on the DPRK with a ban on exports on August 5.
In response, the DPRK warned of preemptive strikes in the waters off Guam, a US military base in the West Pacific.
On Thursday Trump said the DPRK should be "very, very nervous" of the consequences if it even thinks of attacking US soil and issued an updated travel warning for the DPRK which includes information about the impending tourist ban.
During the phone call, both sides also discussed bilateral ties, pledging close contact through various means to promptly exchange views on major issues of common concern.