Leaders of S. Korea, Japan and China vow to push for denuclearization

By Lim Chang-won Posted : May 9, 2018, 13:50 Updated : May 9, 2018, 13:50

[Yonhap Photo]


SEOUL/TOKYO -- The leaders of South Korea, Japan and China agreed to work on establishing permanent peace on the Korean peninsula through denuclearization in a three-way summit on Wednesday that followed a historic inter-Korean summit.

After their talks in Tokyo, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang issued a joint statement which expressed support for the outcome of Moon's April 27 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The three expressed hope for the success of a monumental meeting between U.S. and North Korean leaders, agreeing that the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, the establishment of permanent peace, and the improvement of inter-Korean relations are very important for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia.

"I am confident that South Korea, Japan and China will open up a new era of peace and prosperity on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia if they collect strength and will," Moon said.

Li pledged China's "constructive" role in achieving denuclearization and peace on the Korean peninsula. "China hopes for the restoration of dialogue and political resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue by successfully taking advantage of this opportunity."

The Chinese leader stressed the importance of dialogue while Abe called for joint efforts to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea. Abe suggested Japan is ready to normalize relations with North Korea if the isolated country takes strong action to resolve nuclear, missile and other issues.

The meeting in Tokyo marked the resumption of three-way summit diplomacy that has been stalled since late 2015 due to territorial and historical disputes. It followed a two-day summit between Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the northern Chinese city of Dalian.

At talks with Xi, Kim vowed to abandon the North's nuclear program if relevant parties drop "hostile" policies against Pyongyang, according to China's Xinhua News Agency.

"As long as relevant parties abolish their hostile policies and remove security threats against the DPRK (North Korea), there is no need for the DPRK to be a nuclear state and denuclearization can be realized," Kim was quoted as saying.

However, the North's leader called for "phased and synchronous measures in a responsible manner" to achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the peninsula, revealing differences with U.S. President Donald Trump who wants quick and complete steps.

Xi held a telephone conversation with Trump and agreed to keep sanctions on North Korea until the regime "permanently" dismantles its nuclear program, the White House said.

Before heading for Pyongyang, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington has no interest in following a step-by-step process which, under past administrations, failed to end the North's nuclear ambitions.

"We're not going to relieve sanctions until such time as we achieved our objectives," Pompeo said. "We are not going to do this in small increments, where the world is essentially coerced into relieving economic pressure. That won't lead to the outcome that I know Kim Jong-un wants and I know President Trump is demanding."

"We've continued to develop both administratively and sort of begin to put some outlines around the substance of the agenda for the summit," Pompeo said. "And today we're hoping to nail some of those down ... to put in place a framework for a successful summit between the two presidents."

The U.S. official cited a set of conditions that will give Pyongyang an opportunity to have a "historic, big change" in relations with Washington in return for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea.
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