Xi stresses China’s North Korea concerns in talk with Trump

China says President Xi Jinping has stressed the need for an end to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program in a phone discussion with Donald Trump that followed tweets from the U.S. president urging China to play a more active role. (Photo: Agencia de Noticias ANDES/ Flickr)

BEIJING — China says President Xi Jinping has stressed the need for an end to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program in a phone discussion with Donald Trump that followed tweets from the U.S. president urging China to play a more active role.

Xi told Trump that China insists on peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and advocates resolving the problem through peaceful means.

He said China would maintain “communication and co-ordination” with Washington over it. The two leaders spoke Tuesday night Washington time.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump tweeted that he tried to persuade Xi to put pressure on North Korea in exchange for a good trade deal with the U.

S. In a second tweet, he wrote that he would welcome China’s assistance, but: “If not, we will solve the problem without them!

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