Chinese FM to Visit DPRK amid Stalled Denuclearization Talks

China's top diplomat is expected to meet with his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho, during the visit.

Earlier, Pyongyang reportedly canceled Ri Yong Ho attendance of the upcoming September 17 UN General Assembly in New York.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula, however, significantly improved last year after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump.

In June 2018, Kim and Trump reached an agreement, stipulating that North Korea would make efforts to promote complete denuclearization of the peninsula in exchange for US-South Korean military drills' freeze and potential removal of US sanctions.

The negotiating process has, meanwhile, stalled this year with the tension having escalated after Pyongyang’s recent missile tests.

Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington could not ignore Pyongyang's "rogue behavior" and listed the country among several others as a challenge that the US faced, Sputnik reported.

Pyongyang, in turn, warned that Pompeo's remarks may completely stifle the stalled denuclearization dialogue.

Washington has also reportedly pressured Beijing to play a more active role in pushing North Korea to give up its nuclear program.

Despite several meetings between Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un, there has been little in terms of tangible results.

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