Japan calls China to jointly work for N. Korea's denuclearisation

IANS (11 months ago)

Tokyo, April 15 : Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono called on his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday to work together towards North Korea's denuclearisation, media reports said.

Kono spoke after meeting Yi in Tokyo, a meeting noted for being the first time ever a Chinese foreign minister has visited Japan, Efe news agency reported, citing Kyodo news agency.

Kono said: "I want Japan and China to coordinate more toward our shared goal of North Korea's complete, irreversible and verifiable denuclearisation."

Prior to the diplomatic meeting, Wang said he would brief his counterpart about the outcome of the meeting between North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and China's President Xi Jinping, in China last March.

Wang's visit marks a historic first-ever visit of a Chinese Foreign Minister to Japan and it takes place shortly before a batch of planned summits between South Korean President, Moon Jae-in, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, and US President Donald Trump.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is also set to visit the US next Tuesday to meet Trump and discuss North Korea's denuclearisation.

Abe and Xi are expected to exchange visits in the near future, in the first exchange of official visits since both leaders assumed their offices in 2012.