China's Xi Supports Improvement In Relations Between North And South Korea

Chinese President Xi Jinping told South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday that China is supportive of South Korea’s efforts to improve relationships with its northern neighbor North Korea. The reason for the show of support is to spur peace talks, according to China’s Foreign Ministry.

The Ministry summarized Xi’s statements that the Korean peninsula issue is resolved through dialogue and consultation and that the two countries are a “firm force for maintaining stability and promoting talks.”

President Moon is visiting China for a trilateral meeting between him, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in the southwestern city of Chengdu.

He also had a separate meeting with President Xi where Moon’s spokesperson, Ko Min-jung, was present at the meeting in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. According to Ko, Moon said to Xi, “It is more important than anything to keep up the momentum for dialogue between North Korea and the United States.” She also cited Xi as saying, “China and South Korea should gather strength to help North Korea and the United States sustain the momentum for dialogue.”

Tensions are running a bit high at the 38th parallel. On Saturday, North Korea state media said the United States would “pay dearly” for taking issue with the North’s human rights record and accused Washington of using “malicious words” that would only aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The heavy sanctions placed on North Korea are called a “policy of hostility” by the North. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has set a year-end deadline calling for the United States to change its stance to help end its nuclear program and establish a lasting peace. The North Korean’s are demanding that “crushing” international sanctions be lifted first based on the promise of denuclearization without any proof that any such efforts have begun.

Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump have met three times since June 2018, but any dialog or even an exchange of insults has not resulted in any substantive progress.

The political ties between China, the two Koreas, Japan and the U.S. are likely to play some role in any multilateral talks. China and North Korea are linked diplomatically and financially. South Korea and Japan are at odds over historical issues dating back to World War II but are both allies of the U.S. Kim and Trump seem to have some begrudging respect for each other.

The U.S. and China have some differences over Hong Kong and the persecuted Uighur Muslims, but it appears that there is some movement between the two superpowers on the trade war.

Russia even has a bit part on these events. In a joint proposition with Beijing, Russia and China proposed last week that the United Nations Security Council lift some sanctions to break the current deadlock.

Beijing will need to convince Seoul and Tokyo to break ranks from Washington, which has made its opposition clear and can veto any resolution. President Moon put it the most succinctly saying that the suspension of U.S.-North Korea talks and rising tensions were not beneficial for South Korea, China or North Korea.