A Chinese special envoy on Monday ended a four-day trip to North Korea during which the two sides discussed regional concerns but made no direct statements about the nuclear crisis.
BEIJING: A Chinese special envoy on Monday (Nov 20) ended a four-day trip to North Korea during which the two sides discussed regional concerns but made no direct statements about the nuclear crisis.
Officially, Song Tao was sent by President Xi Jinping to report on the outcome of the Chinese Communist Party’s recent congress.
Analysts had expected that Song would press North Korean officials on the nuclear standoff, but did not expect any breakthroughs.
The trip came a week after US President Donald Trump urged Beijing to do more to rein in its Cold War-era ally, warning that time was quickly running out to resolve the crisis.
Song’s visit was the first by a senior Chinese envoy for more than a year.
Relations are severely stressed over Pyongyang’s sabre-rattling – with missile launches and a sixth nuclear test – and Beijing’s support for tough UN sanctions on its neighbour.
China’s official Xinhua news agency said the two sides „exchanged views on issues of common concern“, including „issues on the Korean peninsula“, along with relations between the two countries and their ruling communist parties.
The brief report said they agreed to „strengthen inter-party contacts and exchanges and push for the development of China-North Korea relations“.
