Source:
https://scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3043000/north-korea-agenda-us-envoy-stephen-biegun-visits-china
China/ Diplomacy

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
US special representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun has been discussing ways to denuclearise the Korean peninsula. Photo: Reuters

Chinese vice foreign minister Le Yucheng met US special envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun on Friday, amid growing tensions on the Korean peninsula.

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.

North Korea has conducted a series of weapons tests in recent weeks and some experts say the reclusive state may be preparing for an intercontinental ballistic missile test soon. Such a move would mark a break from the detente reached with the United States last year and put the two countries back on a path of confrontation.

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.

His visit comes days after China and Russia jointly proposed to the United Nations Security Council to ease some of the economic sanctions in place against North Korea to “break the deadlock” in the stalled talks between Pyongyang and Washington.

China has repeatedly touted the plan as the best option available, arguing that some concessions must be made to Pyongyang to achieve a political resolution. The United States has said it does not support any easing of sanctions, however, and can veto any proposal put to a vote for the 15-member council. It is unclear if Biegun had any behind-the-scenes contact with North Korean officials in Beijing, but his overtures and calls for new talks were not publicly answered by Pyongyang. He did not speak to reporters as he left a hotel in Beijing earlier on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China would never allow foreign forces to interfere with its special regions of Hong Kong and Macau, as the latter commemorated the 20th anniversary of its handover to Chinese rule.