According to North Korean state media, Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to work with local ruler Kim Jong Un for world peace. State news agency KCNA reported today that in a message to Kim, Xi indicated that Beijing is ready to work with Pyongyang for “peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world”.
Xi went on to say he was willing to cooperate with the North Korean leadership while “changing the world” and “history in unprecedented ways”. KCNA cites Xi’s response to Kim’s congratulations to the Chinese leader on his third term as General Secretary of the Communist Party.
North Korea has stepped up its missile tests after joint South Korean-US military exercises. Pyongyang recently fired an ICBM. UN Security Council members condemned the latest missile launch on Monday but declined to make a formal statement due to opposition from China and Russia.
The US government believes the key to Pyongyang’s retreat lies in China, the country’s most important ally. According to a senior US official, Washington wants to ask Beijing to use its influence over the country.