The abrupt shift in Trump’s public position appeared to surprise many people in Asia but did not come as a complete shock.
TOKYO — China and South Korea on Saturday urged Washington and Pyongyang not to walk away from the negotiating table despite the unexpected cancellation of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s planned trip to North Korea.
President Trump called off Pompeo’s visit Friday, just days before the secretary was due to arrive in Pyongyang, citing insufficient progress in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The abrupt shift in Trump’s public position appeared to surprise many people in Asia but did not come as a complete shock. Many observers had sensed that negotiations between the two sides had stalled.
North Korea did not immediately react to the announcement. But South Korea sought to play down concerns.
South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke to Pompeo by telephone Saturday. Kang expressed regret over the cancellation of the trip while calling for continued talks on peace and North Korea’s nuclear program, according to the ministry.
‘‘Rather than reading into each and every turn in the situation, it is more important to focus diplomatic efforts on the faithful execution of what has been agreed in the United States-North Korea summit and the inter-Korean summit, while maintaining the momentum for talks on the long-term outlook,’’ the ministry said in a statement.
China denounced Trump for accusing Beijing of not being supportive in efforts to denuclearize the Korean peninsula, the Associated Press reported
In calling off Pompeo’s trip, Trump also said the nuclear negotiations with North Korea have been hampered by a lack of support from China, which is the North’s only major ally and is engaged in an intensifying trade dispute with the United States.
‘‘The US statement violates basic facts and is irresponsible,’’ the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on its website. ‘‘We are seriously concerned about it and have made solemn representations to the US side.’’
It appealed to both sides to ‘‘show more sincerity and flexibility’’ instead of ‘‘being capricious and overly prejudiced.
