North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Says He’s Committed to Denuclearization

BEIJING – Chinese state media have quoted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as saying he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to inform him about sweeping changes in the region.

“At a crucial time when the regional situation is developing rapidly, Kim said he came to China again to meet with (Xi) and inform him of the situation,” the official Xinhua News Agency quoted Kim as telling Xi.

State media said the two leaders met Monday and Tuesday in Dalian, a northern Chinese port city.

Neither leader was quoted as directly referring to Kim’s meeting late last month with South Korean President Moon Jae-in or his planned summit in coming weeks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

However, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying China “supports North Korea to stick to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and supports North Korea and the U.S. in solving the peninsula issue through dialogue and consultation.”

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump says he will speak Tuesday with President Xi Jinping of China.

Trump tweeted that they will discuss trade, an area where he says “good things will happen.” He says they will also discuss North Korea, where he says “relationships and trust are building.”

China says Xi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Monday and Tuesday in China. It was their second meeting, following Kim’s visit to Beijing in March. The latest Xi-Kim meeting also comes as Trump prepares for a historic summit with Kim in late May or early June.

Trump said last week the time and place will be announced soon.

By Minoru Iwasaki
The Associated Press