China and the US Agree on 'Complete and Irreversible Nuclear Disarmament' in the Korean Peninsula

According to China's official news agency, senior officials from China and the United States have reached an agreement on what is described as 'irreversible and complete nuclear disarmament' in the Korean Peninsula. The meeting of senior officials from both countries followed Donald Trump's remarks about the ineffectiveness of 'Beijing's efforts' regarding North Korea. Xinhua, on July 3, stated in a statement released by the Beijing government that after the meeting of two senior Chinese officials with the US Secretaries of State and Defense, 'both sides emphasized their commitments to complete, verifiable, and irreversible nuclear disarmament in the Korean Peninsula.' In recent days, Yang Jiechi and General Fang Fenghui met and discussed with Rex Tillerson, the Secretary of State, and James Mattis, the Secretary of Defense of the United States. Yang Jiechi is a senior diplomat and a member of a circle of high-ranking officials in the 'State Council of the People's Republic of China.' General Fang Fenghui is the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces. Mr. Tillerson stated last Thursday that the United States is seeking to increase China's economic and political pressure on North Korea. Mr. Yang has also spoken with Donald Trump, the President of the United States. The statement published by Xinhua emphasizes the need to adhere to the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and to guide the parties towards negotiation. According to the Chinese state news agency, in the recent meetings, both sides have 'updated' the communication mechanism to prevent 'miscalculations' between the military forces of the two countries. Trump and Xi had previously met in April in Florida, and they are scheduled to meet next month on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg. Donald Trump wrote on his Twitter account earlier last week, 'While I greatly appreciate President Xi's [Jinping] efforts and China’s efforts to help with North Korea, it has not worked out. At least I know China tried.' Reuters reported on July 1, citing US officials, that their assessments indicate North Korea has conducted another engine test that could likely be used for intercontinental missiles. Many experts and observers believe that North Korea has not yet succeeded in developing intercontinental missiles and is still unable to place a nuclear warhead on such a missile, but it has made 'progress' in this direction. North Korea possesses nuclear weapons and its leader has threatened the United States and South Korea with a preemptive nuclear strike. The United Nations Security Council has prohibited nuclear tests and ballistic missile tests in that country and has imposed sanctions against Pyongyang in this regard. On the other hand, Pyongyang claims that the military exercises of the United States and its allies in East Asia are rehearsals for an attack on that country and the overthrow of its government. Washington has denied these statements. The US Secretary of State recently stated that Washington is considering sanctions related to North Korea that would target countries illegally trading with Pyongyang.