Trump, Xi agree North Korea must stop its provocations

United States President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday reiterated their mutual commitment to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula and agreed that North Korea must stop its provocative and escalatory behaviour, the White House said.

The two leaders spoke over phone to discuss the escalating tension after Kim threatened the US this week to fire missiles at Guam, a US island territory, after the US sponsored a resolution imposing new economic sanctions on Pyongyang over its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

The two leaders affirmed that the recent adoption of a new UN Security Council resolution regarding North Korea was an important and necessary step toward achieving peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the White House after the phone call.

“President Trump and President Xi agreed North Korea must stop its provocative and escalatory behaviour,” the White House said, adding that the two leaders also reiterated their mutual commitment to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula.

“Trump looks forward to seeing President Xi in China later this year, a meeting that will be a very historic event,” the White House said.

“The relationship between the two presidents is an extremely close one, and will hopefully lead to a peaceful resolution of the North Korea problem,” it said.

In another statement, the White House said Trump spoke with Guam Governor Eddie Calvo.

“Trump reassured Governor Calvo and our fellow Americans on Guam that United States forces stand ready to ensure the safety and security of the people of Guam, along with the rest of America,” it said.

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly spoke separately to Calvo earlier in the day, the read out said.

Guam has about 7,000 US troops with almost a third of the land controlled by the US military.