Chinese FM Confirms Call With Washington Over Korean Peninsula

Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a press release confirming that its Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs Liu Xiaoming, formerly a long-serving Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom, held a phone call with Sung Kim, the US State Dep'ts Special Representative for North Korea Policy to discuss the two nation's respective policies towards North Korea.

• The statement said that Liu "expounded China's position on the Peninsula issue and its views on the outcome of the US policy review on North Korea, and emphasized that the process of political settlement of the Peninsula issue should be promoted in accordance with the "dual track" mentality and the principle of phased and simultaneous progress. The United States should attach importance to addressing the legitimate concerns of the DPRK and support the reconciliation and cooperation between the DPRK and the ROK."
• Thursday 8 July marks the 27th anniversary of the death of Kim Il Sung, the founder and first president of North Korea. Anniversaries related to the ruling Kim dynasty or the Workers' Party of Korea are frequently marked by actions such as nuclear tests, missile launches, or other provocative actions towards South Korea, Japan or other US allies.