Japan calls China to jointly work for N. Korea s denuclearisation

Tokyo April 15 (IANS) Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono called on his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday to work together towards North Korea s denuclearisation media reports said.

Kono spoke after meeting Yi in Tokyo a meeting noted for being the first time ever a Chinese foreign minister has visited Japan Efe news agency reported citing Kyodo news agency.

Kono said: "I want Japan and China to coordinate more toward our shared goal of North Korea s complete irreversible and verifiable denuclearisation."

Prior to the diplomatic meeting Wang said he would brief his counterpart about the outcome of the meeting between North Korea s leader Kim Jong-un and China s President Xi Jinping in China last March.

Wang s visit marks a historic first-ever visit of a Chinese Foreign Minister to Japan and it takes place shortly before a batch of planned summits between South Korean President Moon Jae-in North Korea s leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump.

Japan s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is also set to visit the US next Tuesday to meet Trump and discuss North Korea s denuclearisation.

Abe and Xi are expected to exchange visits in the near future in the first exchange of official visits since both leaders assumed their offices in 2012.

--IANS
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