North Korea on agenda as US envoy Stephen Biegun visits China
- Beigun meets vice foreign ministers in Beijing as some observers say Pyongyang could be preparing for an intercontinental ballistic missile test
The two officials exchanged views on North Korea, and China repeated its position that it would safeguard its sovereignty, security, development interests, according to a statement from the foreign ministry on Friday.
In Biegun’s second high-level meeting in Beijing in two days, Le said China’s relationship with the United States had experienced serious difficulties, but they should work in accordance with the consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders to push forward a stable bilateral relationship, the statement said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, who disclosed the meeting of Le and Biegun on Friday, did not elaborate on what was discussed. He repeated that China urged the United States and North Korea to resume dialogue and meet each other halfway.
Biegun arrived in the Chinese capital and met Chinese vice foreign minister Luo Zhaohui on Thursday. China’s foreign ministry said in a statement issued late Thursday that the two exchanged views on achieving denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula in stages.