China calls Trump-Kim meeting 'constructive'

The Chinese government on Monday said the meeting between the US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the inter-Korean border was "constructive" and something that must be welcomed.

On Sunday, Trump became the first sitting American President to step foot in North Korea when he crossed the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the Joint Security Area with Kim. The two leaders then held a meeting together with South Korean President Moon Jae-in for about an hour at Freedom House, reports Efe news.

"It was a constructive meeting that had positive outcomes and it is especially important for the DPRK (North Korea) and the US for re-starting working-level conversations in the near future," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily press conference.

He said that Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent state visit to North Korea underscored the importance of resolving political issues affecting the Korean Peninsula.

The meeting between the leaders of the US and North and South Korea on the border "serves the common interest of all parties and the international community", Geng added.

"We hope both sides can see this as an opportunity, meet each other halfway, explore effective ways to resolve each other's concerns and work for more progress in denuclearization and political settlement of the peninsula."

The meeting has provided impetus to revive denuclearization talks, which have been stagnant since the failed Hanoi summit between Trump and Kim in February. 

The unscheduled meeting came just nine days after Xi's first state visit to Pyongyang, an event hailed by North Korean state media, which highlighted the strengthened ties between the two nations.

As the economic support behind North Korea, China is a key to compliance with the sanctions that the US has imposed on the regime in order to put an end to its nuclear weapons development programme. IANS