Chinese foreign minister likely to request a 4-nation summit

Chinese foreign minister likely to request a 4-nation summit. May. 03, 2018 07:51. by Wan-Jun Yun zeitung@donga.com.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Pyongyang Wednesday morning. Mr. Wang, who will be staying in Pyongyang one more day, is expected to have a meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Young Ho and have a face-to-face talk with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The leaders of the two Koreas announced last Friday at Panmunjom Declaration to “push forward a 3-nation (South Korea, North Korea and the United States) or 4-nation (South Korea, North Korea, the United States and China) summit” in order to build a peace regime.

“Mr. Wang urgently visited North Korea to avoid China ‘passing’ (excluding),” analyzed the Chinese version of Voice of America (VOA). In other words, this was part of China’s diplomacy of active participation to send the message that China should not be left out in peace treaty negotiations, which are directly related to China’s interest with the Korean Peninsula such as the withdrawal of USFK.

Chinese Foreign Minister’s visit to North Korea is the first time since July 2007. Attention is being paid to how Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea will be adjusted by Wang Yi and the North Korean leadership. “President Xi’s visit to North Korea will commonsensically not take place before North Korea–U.S. summit,” said the Chinese diplomatic authorities. There are also views that President Xi may visit South Korea following his visit to North Korea.