By Park Si-soo
Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump to "peacefully resolve" rising tensions over North Korea's nuclear program in a phone call on Wednesday.
Xi told Trump that China "advocates resolving the issue through peaceful means," according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Xi also told Trump that China remains "willing to maintain communication and coordination with the American side on the issue of the peninsula," according to CCTV.
Trump responded that it was very important for the two heads of state to maintain close ties, and that he agreed that the U.S. and China should work together to "expand pragmatic cooperation in a wide range of areas."
Other details of the dialogue were not known.
A U.S. carrier strike group is making its way toward the Korean Peninsula after reversing its planned course to Australia. The unexpected pivoting has spurred speculation that if the North provokes the U.S. with any military action, the strike group will punish it with an attack on North Korea's nuclear facilities, which could lead to a bloody head-on fight between the two Koreas or a three-way battle involving a third country, most likely the U.S.
North Korea is believed to be preparing to test a nuclear weapon in coming days.
"North Korea is looking for trouble," Trump wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night (Korean time). "If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A."
On top of this, Trump said in an interview with the Fox Business Network: "We are sending an armada. Very powerful. We have submarines. Very powerful. Far more powerful than the aircraft carrier."
The U.S. show of force prompted the North to declare it was "ready to react to any mode of war desired by the US."
"This goes to prove that the U.S. reckless moves for invading the DPRK have reached a serious phase," a spokesman for the North's foreign ministry said, according to state news agency KCNA.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump to "peacefully resolve" rising tensions over North Korea's nuclear program in a phone call on Wednesday.
Xi told Trump that China "advocates resolving the issue through peaceful means," according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Xi also told Trump that China remains "willing to maintain communication and coordination with the American side on the issue of the peninsula," according to CCTV.
Trump responded that it was very important for the two heads of state to maintain close ties, and that he agreed that the U.S. and China should work together to "expand pragmatic cooperation in a wide range of areas."
Other details of the dialogue were not known.
A day earlier, Trump said the U.S. was ready to solve the North Korean "problem" without China if necessary, as he and Pyongyang engage in tit-for-tat saber-rattling that has sent tensions soaring in East Asia.
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A U.S. carrier strike group is making its way toward the Korean Peninsula after reversing its planned course to Australia. The unexpected pivoting has spurred speculation that if the North provokes the U.S. with any military action, the strike group will punish it with an attack on North Korea's nuclear facilities, which could lead to a bloody head-on fight between the two Koreas or a three-way battle involving a third country, most likely the U.S.
North Korea is believed to be preparing to test a nuclear weapon in coming days.
"North Korea is looking for trouble," Trump wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night (Korean time). "If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A."
On top of this, Trump said in an interview with the Fox Business Network: "We are sending an armada. Very powerful. We have submarines. Very powerful. Far more powerful than the aircraft carrier."
The U.S. show of force prompted the North to declare it was "ready to react to any mode of war desired by the US."
"This goes to prove that the U.S. reckless moves for invading the DPRK have reached a serious phase," a spokesman for the North's foreign ministry said, according to state news agency KCNA.
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