U\S President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had received a very warm letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, calling the correspondence "beautiful."

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump added, "I think that something will happen that’s going to be very positive,"&nbsp;but gave no details.

Washington is seeking to rebuild momentum in stalled talks with Pyongyang, aimed at getting North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Trump and Kim last met early this year in Hanoi but failed to reach a denuclearisation agreement.

Trump spoke a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Kim’s slain half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, was a source for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Kim Jong Nam was killed at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2017.

"I did receive a beautiful letter from Kim Jong Un ... I appreciated the letter. I saw the information about CIA with respect to his brother, or half-brother. And I will tell him that will not happen under my ... I wouldn’t let that happen."&nbsp;"A very warm, very nice letter,"&nbsp;Trump said.

"I think North Korea has tremendous potential."

He did not rule out another meeting soon with Kim. Trump is due to travel to Japan and South Korea later this month.

Trump said Kim had thus far kept his promises not to test long-range ballistic missiles or conduct underground nuclear tests.

In May, North Korea conducted a “strike drill” for multiple launchers, firing tactical guided weapons in a military drill supervised by Kim.

Trump said at the time that these launches did not pose a problem in his eyes, although his advisers called them a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

U\S President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had received a very warm letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, calling the correspondence "beautiful." Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump added, "I think that something will happen that’s going to be very positive," but gave no details.

U\S President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had received a very warm letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, calling the correspondence "beautiful." Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump added, "I think that something will happen that’s going to be very positive," but gave no details. Washington is seeking to rebuild momentum in stalled talks with Pyongyang, aimed at getting North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Trump and Kim last met early this year in Hanoi but failed to reach a denuclearisation agreement. Trump spoke a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Kim’s slain half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, was a source for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Kim Jong Nam was killed at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2017. "I did receive a beautiful letter from Kim Jong Un ... I appreciated the letter. I saw the information about CIA with respect to his brother, or half-brother. And I will tell him that will not happen under my ... I wouldn’t let that happen." "A very warm, very nice letter," Trump said. "I think North Korea has tremendous potential." He did not rule out another meeting soon with Kim. Trump is due to travel to Japan and South Korea later this month. Trump said Kim had thus far kept his promises not to test long-range ballistic missiles or conduct underground nuclear tests. In May, North Korea conducted a “strike drill” for multiple launchers, firing tactical guided weapons in a military drill supervised by Kim. Trump said at the time that these launches did not pose a problem in his eyes, although his advisers called them a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

Donald Trump says he received a 'beautiful letter' from North Korea's Kim Jong-un

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/great-respect-between-us-and-north-korea-donald-trump-221859">'Great respect' between US and North Korea: Donald Trump</a>

There is "great respect" between the United States and North Korea, President Donald Trump said Monday, predicting "lots of good things" despite recent missile launches by Pyongyang.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/netanyahu-says-coalition-deal-still-possible-as-talk-of-new-polls-mounts-221841">Netanyahu says coalition deal still possible as talk of new polls mounts</a>

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he believed a deal to form a new coalition government remained possible, as speculation mounted over the possibility of fresh elections only days ahead of a deadline.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/prime-minister-narendra-modi-to-visit-varanasi-today-221858">Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Varanasi today, hold a roadshow</a>

Preparations are going on in full swing in Varanasi ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to his parliamentary constituency today after getting a landslide victory in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-becomes-first-foreign-leader-to-meet-japans-new-emperor-221846">Trump becomes first foreign leader to meet Japan's new emperor</a>

Donald Trump on Monday became the first foreign leader to meet with Japan's newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito -- an honour Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes will help charm the US president when it comes to thorny trade talks.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trade-beef-aside-trump-and-abe-bond-over-burgers-sumo-and-golf-221840">Trade beef aside, Trump and Abe bond over burgers, sumo and golf</a>

US President Donald Trump on Sunday played golf with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and presented a trophy to the winner of a sumo tournament, turning to personal diplomacy for the second day of a Japan visit shadowed by tough trade talk.

'Great respect' between US and North Korea: Donald Trump There is "great respect" between the United States and North Korea, President Donald Trump said Monday, predicting "lots of good things" despite recent missile launches by Pyongyang.

'Great respect' between US and North Korea: Donald Trump There is "great respect" between the United States and North Korea, President Donald Trump said Monday, predicting "lots of good things" despite recent missile launches by Pyongyang. Netanyahu says coalition deal still possible as talk of new polls mounts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he believed a deal to form a new coalition government remained possible, as speculation mounted over the possibility of fresh elections only days ahead of a deadline. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Varanasi today, hold a roadshow Preparations are going on in full swing in Varanasi ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to his parliamentary constituency today after getting a landslide victory in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Trump becomes first foreign leader to meet Japan's new emperor Donald Trump on Monday became the first foreign leader to meet with Japan's newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito -- an honour Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes will help charm the US president when it comes to thorny trade talks. Trade beef aside, Trump and Abe bond over burgers, sumo and golf US President Donald Trump on Sunday played golf with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and presented a trophy to the winner of a sumo tournament, turning to personal diplomacy for the second day of a Japan visit shadowed by tough trade talk.

News brief: Big stories of the day

North Korea launched unidentified projectiles into the sea Saturday, the South Korean military said, in what could be Pyongyang's first short-range missile launch for more than a year as it seeks to up pressure on Washington with nuclear talks deadlocked.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-signals-shift-in-nuclear-diplomacy-kims-right-hand-man-sidelined-213629">United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads</a> since the collapse of a summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump in February, where the two sides clashed over sanctions and the extent of Pyongyang's concessions on its atomic arsenal.

North Korea "fired a number of short-range projectiles from its Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan to the northeastern direction from 9:06 am (0006 GMT) to 09:27 am today", the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The projectiles travelled from 70 to 200 kilometres (45 to 125 miles) towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the JCS added.

In an earlier statement, it had said Pyongyang had launched an unidentified short-range missile.

The last North Korean missile launch was in November 2017.

The latest firing comes just a day after South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearisation action if it wants sanctions relief.

That issue was also at the centre of the February talks in Hanoi, where North Korea demanded immediate sanctions relief, but the two sides disagreed on what Pyongyang should give up in return.

Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an "unwanted outcome" if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions.

North Korea did not carry out any missile or nuclear tests last year, as Kim held his first historic summits with the leaders of the United States and South Korea.

Saturday's launch "does not violate Kim Jong-un's self-imposed missile-testing moratorium", which "only applied to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles", said North Korea analyst Ankit Panda.

"North Korea historically did not generally test anything while talks were on with the US. Talks are not on."

The White House said it was "aware of North Korea's actions tonight".

"We will continue to monitor as necessary," Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Japan, meanwhile, said there was "no confirmation of ballistic missiles" entering its territory.

"At this point, there is no confirmation of any situation that may impact our national security," the Japanese defence ministry said in a statement.

Hodo peninsula

Hodo Peninsula, where Saturday's firing took place, has been used as a training area for "live-fire testing, training exercises for artillery and coastal defence cruise missiles" since the 1960s, according to the respected 38 North website.

It wasn't until the mid-1990s that a "formal training area" was established in the region, and Hodo has been "increasingly used for ballistic missile and long-range artillery rocket testing" during the last 10 years, it added.

Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between Kim and Trump in February, South Korean president Moon Jae-in -- who brokered the first meeting between the mercurial leaders -- has tried to salvage diplomacy, but Pyongyang has remained largely unresponsive.

Kim slammed the South in a speech to his country's rubber-stamp legislature last month, saying it should not "pose as a meddlesome 'mediator'" between the US and Pyongyang.

Last week, on the anniversary of the Panmunjom summit, Pyongyang's state media KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase", criticising their joint military exercises.

"Chairman Kim has decided to remind the world -- and specifically the United States -- that his weapons capabilities are growing by the day," said Harry J. Kazianis, Director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest.

"My fear is that we are at the beginning stages of a slide back to the days of nuclear war threats and personal insults, a dangerous cycle of spiking tensions that must be avoided at all costs."

North Korea launched unidentified projectiles into the sea Saturday, the South Korean military said, in what could be Pyongyang's first short-range missile launch for more than a year as it seeks to up pressure on Washington with nuclear talks deadlocked.

North Korea launched unidentified projectiles into the sea Saturday, the South Korean military said, in what could be Pyongyang's first short-range missile launch for more than a year as it seeks to up pressure on Washington with nuclear talks deadlocked. The United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads since the collapse of a summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump in February, where the two sides clashed over sanctions and the extent of Pyongyang's concessions on its atomic arsenal. North Korea "fired a number of short-range projectiles from its Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan to the northeastern direction from 9:06 am (0006 GMT) to 09:27 am today", the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The projectiles travelled from 70 to 200 kilometres (45 to 125 miles) towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the JCS added. In an earlier statement, it had said Pyongyang had launched an unidentified short-range missile. The last North Korean missile launch was in November 2017. The latest firing comes just a day after South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearisation action if it wants sanctions relief. That issue was also at the centre of the February talks in Hanoi, where North Korea demanded immediate sanctions relief, but the two sides disagreed on what Pyongyang should give up in return. Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an "unwanted outcome" if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions. North Korea did not carry out any missile or nuclear tests last year, as Kim held his first historic summits with the leaders of the United States and South Korea. Saturday's launch "does not violate Kim Jong-un's self-imposed missile-testing moratorium", which "only applied to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles", said North Korea analyst Ankit Panda. "North Korea historically did not generally test anything while talks were on with the US. Talks are not on." The White House said it was "aware of North Korea's actions tonight". "We will continue to monitor as necessary," Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. Japan, meanwhile, said there was "no confirmation of ballistic missiles" entering its territory. "At this point, there is no confirmation of any situation that may impact our national security," the Japanese defence ministry said in a statement. Hodo peninsula Hodo Peninsula, where Saturday's firing took place, has been used as a training area for "live-fire testing, training exercises for artillery and coastal defence cruise missiles" since the 1960s, according to the respected 38 North website. It wasn't until the mid-1990s that a "formal training area" was established in the region, and Hodo has been "increasingly used for ballistic missile and long-range artillery rocket testing" during the last 10 years, it added. Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between Kim and Trump in February, South Korean president Moon Jae-in -- who brokered the first meeting between the mercurial leaders -- has tried to salvage diplomacy, but Pyongyang has remained largely unresponsive. Kim slammed the South in a speech to his country's rubber-stamp legislature last month, saying it should not "pose as a meddlesome 'mediator'" between the US and Pyongyang. Last week, on the anniversary of the Panmunjom summit, Pyongyang's state media KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase", criticising their joint military exercises. "Chairman Kim has decided to remind the world -- and specifically the United States -- that his weapons capabilities are growing by the day," said Harry J. Kazianis, Director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest. "My fear is that we are at the beginning stages of a slide back to the days of nuclear war threats and personal insults, a dangerous cycle of spiking tensions that must be avoided at all costs."

North Korea fires short-range 'projectiles' into sea, first missile launch after 2017

North Korean leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-may-be-invited-to-south-korea-asean-summit-in-november-207344">Kim Jong-un </a>said his country needs to deliver a "telling blow" to those imposing sanctions by ensuring its economy is more self-reliant, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Thursday.

It was the first time Kim stated North Korea's position on the second <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/donald-trump-kim-jong-un-summits-other-aim-was-to-sell-vietnam-model-to-north-korea-208086">US-North Korea summit in Hanoi </a>that collapsed in February and signalled a continued focus on economic development, a strategic direction officially declared a priority last April.

On North Korea's position on the summit, Kim said he would double down on efforts to create a self-supporting national economy "so as to deal a telling blow to the hostile forces who go with bloodshot eyes miscalculating that sanctions can bring (North Korea) to its knees," according to KCNA.

US-North Korean engagement has appeared to be in limbo since the Feb. 27-28 summit in Hanoi, which collapsed over differences about how far North Korea was willing to limit its nuclear programme and the degree of US willingness to ease economic sanctions.

Kim has continued to highlight his economic push in recent weeks despite the lack of sanctions relief.

State media have published images and reports of Kim's visits to at least four economic projects in five days over the past week, including a remodelled department store, tourist resorts, and an economic hub near the border with China.

At a similar plenary session last year, Kim formally announced a "new strategic line" that focused on economic progress and improving North Koreans' lives, rather than the previous two-pronged approach of economic and nuclear weapons development.

Despite not explicitly naming the "hostile forces" that imposed sanctions, Kim is displaying a more hardened stance toward Washington than was recently in state media, analysts said.

The comments were reported hours ahead of a summit between US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Javelin in Washington on Thursday to discuss North Korea and other alliance issues.

Moon has suggested that sanctions could be eased to allow inter-Korean economic engagement in return for some nuclear concessions by North Korea, but so far Washington has not agreed.

"It did not directly mention the US, but linked sanctions with hostile forces," said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. "He's saying North Korea would take an independent course unless the US offered to lift sanctions. You maintain sanctions, you're a hostile force; if you ease sanctions, you're not."

North Korea is expected to convene a session of its rubber-stamp legislature, the Supreme People's Assembly, on Thursday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country needs to deliver a "telling blow" to those imposing sanctions by ensuring its economy is more self-reliant, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Thursday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country needs to deliver a "telling blow" to those imposing sanctions by ensuring its economy is more self-reliant, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Thursday. It was the first time Kim stated North Korea's position on the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi that collapsed in February and signalled a continued focus on economic development, a strategic direction officially declared a priority last April. On North Korea's position on the summit, Kim said he would double down on efforts to create a self-supporting national economy "so as to deal a telling blow to the hostile forces who go with bloodshot eyes miscalculating that sanctions can bring (North Korea) to its knees," according to KCNA. US-North Korean engagement has appeared to be in limbo since the Feb. 27-28 summit in Hanoi, which collapsed over differences about how far North Korea was willing to limit its nuclear programme and the degree of US willingness to ease economic sanctions. Kim has continued to highlight his economic push in recent weeks despite the lack of sanctions relief. State media have published images and reports of Kim's visits to at least four economic projects in five days over the past week, including a remodelled department store, tourist resorts, and an economic hub near the border with China. At a similar plenary session last year, Kim formally announced a "new strategic line" that focused on economic progress and improving North Koreans' lives, rather than the previous two-pronged approach of economic and nuclear weapons development. Despite not explicitly naming the "hostile forces" that imposed sanctions, Kim is displaying a more hardened stance toward Washington than was recently in state media, analysts said. The comments were reported hours ahead of a summit between US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Javelin in Washington on Thursday to discuss North Korea and other alliance issues. Moon has suggested that sanctions could be eased to allow inter-Korean economic engagement in return for some nuclear concessions by North Korea, but so far Washington has not agreed. "It did not directly mention the US, but linked sanctions with hostile forces," said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. "He's saying North Korea would take an independent course unless the US offered to lift sanctions. You maintain sanctions, you're a hostile force; if you ease sanctions, you're not." North Korea is expected to convene a session of its rubber-stamp legislature, the Supreme People's Assembly, on Thursday.

North Korea's Kim says must deliver 'blow' to those imposing sanctions: Report

A top US envoy said Monday Washington's goal is the complete denuclearisation of North Korea by the end of Donald Trump's first term, insisting it will not settle for incremental disarmament.

"We are not going to do denuclearisation incrementally," said Stephen Biegun, the special US envoy for North Korea.

While stressing he was not bound by an artificial calendar, Biegun said the administration wanted to accomplish the complete and verified denuclearisation of North Korea by the end of Trump's term in January 2021.

The US side has included North Korea's chemical and biological weapons in the negotiations with Pyongyang.

The envoy said there could be no comprehensive agreement with the North without agreement on each point, adding that there was "complete unity" in the administration on that approach.

Speaking at a conference organised by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Biegun said progress had been made despite the failure of Trump's second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, held in Hanoi last month.

"The door remains open" for further negotiations, he said, adding, however, that "the North Koreans have to be fully invested."&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A top US envoy said Monday Washington's goal is the complete denuclearisation of North Korea by the end of Donald Trump's first term, insisting it will not settle for incremental disarmament.

A top US envoy said Monday Washington's goal is the complete denuclearisation of North Korea by the end of Donald Trump's first term, insisting it will not settle for incremental disarmament. "We are not going to do denuclearisation incrementally," said Stephen Biegun, the special US envoy for North Korea. While stressing he was not bound by an artificial calendar, Biegun said the administration wanted to accomplish the complete and verified denuclearisation of North Korea by the end of Trump's term in January 2021. The US side has included North Korea's chemical and biological weapons in the negotiations with Pyongyang. The envoy said there could be no comprehensive agreement with the North without agreement on each point, adding that there was "complete unity" in the administration on that approach. Speaking at a conference organised by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Biegun said progress had been made despite the failure of Trump's second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, held in Hanoi last month. "The door remains open" for further negotiations, he said, adding, however, that "the North Koreans have to be fully invested."

US opposes incremental denuclearisation of North Korea: Envoy

Donald Trump's hitherto failed ‘maximum pressure’ approach to Iran, as well as for that matter North Korea, begs the question what the US president’s true objectives are and what options he is left with should the policy ultimately fail.&nbsp;

In the case of North Korea, it remains to be seen whether&nbsp;the country’s reported rebuilding of a rocket launch site&nbsp;after the US president last month walked away from his summit in Hanoi with Kim-Jong-un constitutes a negotiating tactic or a breakdown. The site was partially dismantled as a goodwill gesture after the two men first met in Singapore last year.&nbsp;

A breakdown coupled with&nbsp;even harsher sanctions&nbsp;that similarly may not do the job risks leaving Trump with few good options beyond some kind of military operation.&nbsp;

Trump has so far credibly conveyed his intention of wanting to fully denuclearise North Korea rather than ultimately change its regime, a further indication of the apparent comfort he finds in dealing with at least some autocratic and authoritarian leaders.&nbsp;

The picture with regard to North Korea and Iran is both similar and different.&nbsp;

Iranian resilience backed by key players in the international community determined to salvage the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program could blunt the impact of harsh US sanctions, again leaving the United States with few good options beyond either backing away from its maximalist approach or weighing overt or covert military action.&nbsp;

Trump’s intentions regarding Iran, in contrast to North Korea, are far less clear.&nbsp;Increasingly strident language&nbsp;by the president’s hard-line national security advisor, John Bolton, as well as his Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, coupled with the specific&nbsp;changes of Iranian policies that the US is demanding,&nbsp;suggest that regime change rather than reform may be the president’s true objective. It is hard to see how Iran could comply with the US demands without a change of regime.&nbsp;

For now, Iran’s strategy appears to be circumventing sanctions in every way it can, ensuring continued support by Europe, China and Russia, and waiting it out to see whether Trump gets a second term in the 2020 US elections in the hope that a Democratic president comes to office who would negotiate a return of the United States to the nuclear accord.

“A pressure campaign will only be effective if enough time is dedicated to it. In other words,&nbsp;there are no quick and easy victories, as the North Korean case demonstrates. And attempts to get them will only push the goalposts further away,” said political scientist Ariane M Tabatabai.

In a twist of irony, carrot-and-stick-backed efforts by international regulators to get Pakistan and Iran to significantly upgrade their legal abilities to counter political violence potentially are proving to be more effective than maximum pressure.&nbsp;

Concern that Pakistan could be blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international anti-money laundering and terrorism finance watchdog, compounded by mounting tension with India,&nbsp;prompted Pakistan in recent days to crack down on long tolerated militant groups.

Blacklisting potentially would have a debilitating impact on Pakistan’s crisis-ridden economy. It would restrict the ability of multilateral organisations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to aid or lend to Pakistan.&nbsp;

The fact that Iran faces a similar dilemma has sparked intense debate in the Islamic republic about how to deal with FATF demands that it join the watchdog and significantly upgrade its legal anti-money laundering and terrorism finance infrastructure to evade being blacklisted.&nbsp;

Iran’s parliament has so far passed two of four bills required for membership&nbsp;and together with the Expediency and Discernment Council is debating Iranian accession to the Combating the Financing of Terrorism Convention (CFT) and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime or Palermo Convention.&nbsp;

The FATF demands have put Iran between a rock and a hard place.

Iranian ratification of those conventions coupled with FATF membership holds out the promise of more effectively and more quickly than US maximum pressure curtailing Iran’s ability to fund regional proxies.&nbsp;

Failure to comply could significantly increase the pain of US sanctions by prompting those banks and financial institutions still willing to do business with Iran to rethink their positions.&nbsp;

It would also likely restrict the ability of supporters of the nuclear agreement to help Iran soften the impact of the sanctions.&nbsp;

"If you want us&nbsp;to succeed in the talks with Europe, at least the four proposed bills must be ratified," said a member of the Iranian parliament, Abulfazle Mousavi.&nbsp;

“By joining,&nbsp;Iranian banks will be under what will be unprecedented international scrutiny. This will make it more difficult, although not impossible, for Iran to transfer money to terror organisations… such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. Additionally, Iranian membership in the FATF would weaken the financial strength of the Iranian hard-liners, who have always called for a more aggressive foreign policy in the region,” said Iran scholar Meir Javedanfar.&nbsp;

That is what has fuelled opposition in Iran to acceptance of FATF’s requirements. Hardliners have warned that FATF would effectively impair Iran’s ability to pursue a defense strategy focused on fighting the country’s foreign policy and military battles far beyond its borders and would give US sanctions more bite.&nbsp;

"Joining these conventions will lead to interference with Iran's internal affairs, including financial and economic issues,” said Abolfazl Hasanbeygi, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission.

Mr. Hasanbeygi warned that FATF would be the vehicle that the country’s detractors would use to gain access to the workings of Iran's banking and economic system and its flows of funds.

As a result, Iran is at a crossroads more because of the application of a rules-based international and multilateral system than the coercion of punitive sanctions imposed by a world power. In reality, Iran is emerging as a litmus test of the effectiveness of varying forms of global governance.

If Iran “does not comply with the FATF regulations, the whole Iranian banking system could become thoroughly isolated&nbsp;from the global financial system. This means that it would be almost impossible to transfer the country's oil revenue internationally and even into its national economy,” said political analyst&nbsp;Shahir Shahidsaless.

“And if it does comply, it will face complications such as the creation of an FIU, becoming exposed to sanctions as a result of its chaotic banking system, greater difficulty bypassing US sanctions and, finally, risk getting trapped in allegations of financing terrorism,” he added referring to FATF’s insistence that members create a financial intelligence unit that monitors and reports on the funding of political violence.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Donald Trump's hitherto failed ‘maximum pressure’ approach to Iran, as well as for that matter North Korea, begs the question what the US president’s true objectives are and what options he is left with should the policy ultimately fail.

Donald Trump's hitherto failed ‘maximum pressure’ approach to Iran, as well as for that matter North Korea, begs the question what the US president’s true objectives are and what options he is left with should the policy ultimately fail. In the case of North Korea, it remains to be seen whether the country’s reported rebuilding of a rocket launch site after the US president last month walked away from his summit in Hanoi with Kim-Jong-un constitutes a negotiating tactic or a breakdown. The site was partially dismantled as a goodwill gesture after the two men first met in Singapore last year. A breakdown coupled with even harsher sanctions that similarly may not do the job risks leaving Trump with few good options beyond some kind of military operation. Trump has so far credibly conveyed his intention of wanting to fully denuclearise North Korea rather than ultimately change its regime, a further indication of the apparent comfort he finds in dealing with at least some autocratic and authoritarian leaders. The picture with regard to North Korea and Iran is both similar and different. Iranian resilience backed by key players in the international community determined to salvage the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program could blunt the impact of harsh US sanctions, again leaving the United States with few good options beyond either backing away from its maximalist approach or weighing overt or covert military action. Trump’s intentions regarding Iran, in contrast to North Korea, are far less clear. Increasingly strident language by the president’s hard-line national security advisor, John Bolton, as well as his Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, coupled with the specific changes of Iranian policies that the US is demanding, suggest that regime change rather than reform may be the president’s true objective. It is hard to see how Iran could comply with the US demands without a change of regime. For now, Iran’s strategy appears to be circumventing sanctions in every way it can, ensuring continued support by Europe, China and Russia, and waiting it out to see whether Trump gets a second term in the 2020 US elections in the hope that a Democratic president comes to office who would negotiate a return of the United States to the nuclear accord. “A pressure campaign will only be effective if enough time is dedicated to it. In other words, there are no quick and easy victories, as the North Korean case demonstrates. And attempts to get them will only push the goalposts further away,” said political scientist Ariane M Tabatabai. In a twist of irony, carrot-and-stick-backed efforts by international regulators to get Pakistan and Iran to significantly upgrade their legal abilities to counter political violence potentially are proving to be more effective than maximum pressure. Concern that Pakistan could be blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international anti-money laundering and terrorism finance watchdog, compounded by mounting tension with India, prompted Pakistan in recent days to crack down on long tolerated militant groups. Blacklisting potentially would have a debilitating impact on Pakistan’s crisis-ridden economy. It would restrict the ability of multilateral organisations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to aid or lend to Pakistan. The fact that Iran faces a similar dilemma has sparked intense debate in the Islamic republic about how to deal with FATF demands that it join the watchdog and significantly upgrade its legal anti-money laundering and terrorism finance infrastructure to evade being blacklisted. Iran’s parliament has so far passed two of four bills required for membership and together with the Expediency and Discernment Council is debating Iranian accession to the Combating the Financing of Terrorism Convention (CFT) and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime or Palermo Convention. The FATF demands have put Iran between a rock and a hard place. Iranian ratification of those conventions coupled with FATF membership holds out the promise of more effectively and more quickly than US maximum pressure curtailing Iran’s ability to fund regional proxies. Failure to comply could significantly increase the pain of US sanctions by prompting those banks and financial institutions still willing to do business with Iran to rethink their positions. It would also likely restrict the ability of supporters of the nuclear agreement to help Iran soften the impact of the sanctions. "If you want us to succeed in the talks with Europe, at least the four proposed bills must be ratified," said a member of the Iranian parliament, Abulfazle Mousavi. “By joining, Iranian banks will be under what will be unprecedented international scrutiny. This will make it more difficult, although not impossible, for Iran to transfer money to terror organisations… such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. Additionally, Iranian membership in the FATF would weaken the financial strength of the Iranian hard-liners, who have always called for a more aggressive foreign policy in the region,” said Iran scholar Meir Javedanfar. That is what has fuelled opposition in Iran to acceptance of FATF’s requirements. Hardliners have warned that FATF would effectively impair Iran’s ability to pursue a defense strategy focused on fighting the country’s foreign policy and military battles far beyond its borders and would give US sanctions more bite. "Joining these conventions will lead to interference with Iran's internal affairs, including financial and economic issues,” said Abolfazl Hasanbeygi, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission. Mr. Hasanbeygi warned that FATF would be the vehicle that the country’s detractors would use to gain access to the workings of Iran's banking and economic system and its flows of funds. As a result, Iran is at a crossroads more because of the application of a rules-based international and multilateral system than the coercion of punitive sanctions imposed by a world power. In reality, Iran is emerging as a litmus test of the effectiveness of varying forms of global governance. If Iran “does not comply with the FATF regulations, the whole Iranian banking system could become thoroughly isolated from the global financial system. This means that it would be almost impossible to transfer the country's oil revenue internationally and even into its national economy,” said political analyst Shahir Shahidsaless. “And if it does comply, it will face complications such as the creation of an FIU, becoming exposed to sanctions as a result of its chaotic banking system, greater difficulty bypassing US sanctions and, finally, risk getting trapped in allegations of financing terrorism,” he added referring to FATF’s insistence that members create a financial intelligence unit that monitors and reports on the funding of political violence. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Iran and North Korea highlight pitfalls of Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ strategy

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said on Friday he would be disappointed if Pyongyang were to resume weapons testing and reiterated his belief in his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un despite the collapse last week of their second summit.

"I would be surprised in a negative way if he did anything that was not per our understanding. But we'll see what happens," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I would be very disappointed if I saw testing."

Trump's comments came after two US think tanks and Seoul's spy agency said this week that North Korea was rebuilding a rocket launch site at Sohae in the west of the country.

There have also been reports from South Korea's intelligence service of new activity at a factory at Sanumdong near Pyongyang that produced North Korea's first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.

On Friday, US National Public Radio quoted experts from California's Middlebury Institute of International Studies as saying that satellite images of Sanumdong taken on February 22 and on Friday suggested North Korea could be preparing to launch a missile or a space rocket.

One of the experts, Jeffrey Lewis, told Reuters the activity at the two sites was "probably connected." NPR said the February 22 photos showed cars, trucks, rail cars and two cranes at Sanumdong, while in those taken on Friday, the activity had died down and one of the cranes had disappeared.

Other experts, including Joel Wit at 38 North and Michael Elleman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies considered the conclusion speculative.

"In the past there have been multiple reports about activity at this place that turned out to be false alarms," Wit said, referring to Sanumdong. "It could either be preparation for an eventual launch or not."

The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The State Department declined to comment.

North Korea has frozen nuclear and missile testing since 2017, and Trump has pointed to this as a positive outcome from nearly a year of high-level engagement with North Korea.

Sohae has been used in the past to test missile engines and to launch rockets that US officials say have helped the development of North Korea's weapons programs. A senior U.S. State Department official said on Thursday that any launch from there would be "inconsistent" with North Korean commitments.

Kim pledged at a first summit with Trump in Singapore in June that the engine test site and launch platform at Sohae would be dismantled. He repeated the pledge in a summit with the South Korean president in September.

Trump said he thought his and the US&nbsp;relationship with Kim and North Korea was "a very good one."

"I think it remains good," he said.

Summit collapse&nbsp;

Trump has been eager for a big foreign policy win on North Korea which has eluded his predecessors for decades and has repeatedly stressed his good relationship with Kim.

He went as far late last year as saying that they "fell in love," but the bonhomie has failed to bridge the wide gap between the two sides and a second summit between them collapsed last week in Vietnam over differences on US demands for Kim to give up his nuclear weapons and North Korea's demands for sanctions relief.

US National Security Adviser John Bolton and other US officials have sought to play down the developments spotted at Sohae, although Trump on Thursday called recent North Korean activity "disappointing."

The senior State Department official who briefed reporters in Washington on Thursday said he would "not necessarily share the conclusion" of the think tanks that the Sohae site was operational again, but said any use of the site would be seen as "backsliding" on commitments to Trump.

North Korean state media acknowledged the fruitless Hanoi summit for the first time on Friday, saying people were blaming the United States for the lack of an agreement.

"The public at home and abroad that had hoped for success and good results from the second ... summit in Hanoi are feeling regretful, blaming the US for the summit that ended without an agreement," its Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary.

The paper directed fiery rhetoric against Japan, accusing it of being "desperate to interrupt" relations between Pyongyang and Washington and "applauding" the breakdown of the summit.

Washington has said it is open to more talks with North Korea but it has rejected an incremental approach to negotiations sought by Pyongyang and it remains unclear when the two sides might meet again.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he was hopeful he would send a delegation to North Korea for more talks in the next couple of weeks, but that he had received "no commitment yet."

The senior State Department official who briefed reporters on Thursday said the United States was keen to resume talks as soon as possible, but North Korea's negotiators needed to be given more latitude than they were given ahead of the summit.

"There will necessarily need to be a period of reflection here. Both sides are going to have to digest the outcome to the summit," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Fundamentally, where we really need to see the progress, and we need to see it soon, is on meaningful and verifiable steps on denuclearisation. That's our goal and that's how we see these negotiations picking up momentum."

The official said complete denuclearisation was the condition for North Korea's integration into the global economy, a transformed relationship with the United States and a permanent peace regime on the Korean peninsula.

Bolton, a hard-liner who has argued for a tough approach to North Korea, said this week that Trump was open to more talks, but also warned of tougher sanctions if North Korea did not denuclearise.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he would be disappointed if Pyongyang were to resume weapons testing and reiterated his belief in his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un despite the collapse last week of their second summit.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he would be disappointed if Pyongyang were to resume weapons testing and reiterated his belief in his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un despite the collapse last week of their second summit. "I would be surprised in a negative way if he did anything that was not per our understanding. But we'll see what happens," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I would be very disappointed if I saw testing." Trump's comments came after two US think tanks and Seoul's spy agency said this week that North Korea was rebuilding a rocket launch site at Sohae in the west of the country. There have also been reports from South Korea's intelligence service of new activity at a factory at Sanumdong near Pyongyang that produced North Korea's first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States. On Friday, US National Public Radio quoted experts from California's Middlebury Institute of International Studies as saying that satellite images of Sanumdong taken on February 22 and on Friday suggested North Korea could be preparing to launch a missile or a space rocket. One of the experts, Jeffrey Lewis, told Reuters the activity at the two sites was "probably connected." NPR said the February 22 photos showed cars, trucks, rail cars and two cranes at Sanumdong, while in those taken on Friday, the activity had died down and one of the cranes had disappeared. Other experts, including Joel Wit at 38 North and Michael Elleman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies considered the conclusion speculative. "In the past there have been multiple reports about activity at this place that turned out to be false alarms," Wit said, referring to Sanumdong. "It could either be preparation for an eventual launch or not." The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The State Department declined to comment. North Korea has frozen nuclear and missile testing since 2017, and Trump has pointed to this as a positive outcome from nearly a year of high-level engagement with North Korea. Sohae has been used in the past to test missile engines and to launch rockets that US officials say have helped the development of North Korea's weapons programs. A senior U.S. State Department official said on Thursday that any launch from there would be "inconsistent" with North Korean commitments. Kim pledged at a first summit with Trump in Singapore in June that the engine test site and launch platform at Sohae would be dismantled. He repeated the pledge in a summit with the South Korean president in September. Trump said he thought his and the US relationship with Kim and North Korea was "a very good one." "I think it remains good," he said. Summit collapse Trump has been eager for a big foreign policy win on North Korea which has eluded his predecessors for decades and has repeatedly stressed his good relationship with Kim. He went as far late last year as saying that they "fell in love," but the bonhomie has failed to bridge the wide gap between the two sides and a second summit between them collapsed last week in Vietnam over differences on US demands for Kim to give up his nuclear weapons and North Korea's demands for sanctions relief. US National Security Adviser John Bolton and other US officials have sought to play down the developments spotted at Sohae, although Trump on Thursday called recent North Korean activity "disappointing." The senior State Department official who briefed reporters in Washington on Thursday said he would "not necessarily share the conclusion" of the think tanks that the Sohae site was operational again, but said any use of the site would be seen as "backsliding" on commitments to Trump. North Korean state media acknowledged the fruitless Hanoi summit for the first time on Friday, saying people were blaming the United States for the lack of an agreement. "The public at home and abroad that had hoped for success and good results from the second ... summit in Hanoi are feeling regretful, blaming the US for the summit that ended without an agreement," its Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary. The paper directed fiery rhetoric against Japan, accusing it of being "desperate to interrupt" relations between Pyongyang and Washington and "applauding" the breakdown of the summit. Washington has said it is open to more talks with North Korea but it has rejected an incremental approach to negotiations sought by Pyongyang and it remains unclear when the two sides might meet again. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he was hopeful he would send a delegation to North Korea for more talks in the next couple of weeks, but that he had received "no commitment yet." The senior State Department official who briefed reporters on Thursday said the United States was keen to resume talks as soon as possible, but North Korea's negotiators needed to be given more latitude than they were given ahead of the summit. "There will necessarily need to be a period of reflection here. Both sides are going to have to digest the outcome to the summit," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Fundamentally, where we really need to see the progress, and we need to see it soon, is on meaningful and verifiable steps on denuclearisation. That's our goal and that's how we see these negotiations picking up momentum." The official said complete denuclearisation was the condition for North Korea's integration into the global economy, a transformed relationship with the United States and a permanent peace regime on the Korean peninsula. Bolton, a hard-liner who has argued for a tough approach to North Korea, said this week that Trump was open to more talks, but also warned of tougher sanctions if North Korea did not denuclearise.

Would be surprised in 'negative way' if Kim resumed nuclear testing: Donald Trump

North Korea has restored part of a missile launch site it began to dismantle after pledging to do so in a first summit with US President Donald Trump last year, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency and two US think tanks reported on Tuesday.

Yonhap quoted lawmakers briefed by South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) as saying that the work was taking place at the Tongchang-ri launch site and involved replacing a roof and a door at the facility.

Satellite images seen by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea project, showed that structures on the launch pad had been rebuilt sometime between Feb. 16 and March 2, Jenny Town, managing editor at the project and an analyst at the Stimson Center think tank, told Reuters.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies released a report, also citing satellite imagery, that concluded North Korea is "pursuing a rapid rebuilding" at the site.

"Activity is evident at the vertical engine test stand and the launch pad's rail-mounted rocket transfer structure," the CSIS report said. "Significantly, the environmental shelters on the umbilical tower, which are normally closed, have been opened to show the launch pad."

The news comes days after a second summit on denuclearisation between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un broke down over differences on how far North Korea was willing to limit its nuclear programme and the degree of US willingness to ease sanctions.

The summit took place in Hanoi on February 27 and 28.

Trump told a news conference after an unprecedented first summit with Kim on June 12 in Singapore that the North Korean leader had promised that a major missile engine testing site would be destroyed very soon.

Trump did not identify the site, but a US official subsequently told Reuters it was the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, which is located at Tongchang-ri.

Asked to comment, the White House referred to the US State Department, which did not immediately respond.

A US government source said the NIS was considered reliable on such issues, but added that the work described did not seem particularly alarming, and certainly not on a scale of resuming missile tests that have been suspended since 2017.

Future dialogue?

Kim Jong-un also pledged at a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in September to close Sohae and allow international experts to observe the dismantling of the missile engine-testing site and a launch pad.

Signs that North Korea had begun acting on its pledge to Trump were detected in July when a Washington think tank said satellite images indicated work had begun at Sohae to dismantle a building used to assemble space-launch vehicles and a nearby rocket engine test stand used to develop liquid-fuel engines for ballistic missiles and space-launch vehicles.

However, subsequent images indicated North Korea had halted work to dismantle the missile engine test site in the first part of August.

The fact that the site had been dormant since August indicates the new activity is "deliberate and purposeful," the CSIS report said.

The breakdown of the summit in Hanoi last week has raised questions about the future of US-North Korea dialogue.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he was hopeful he would send a delegation to North Korea in the coming weeks but that he had "no commitment yet."

While North Korea's official media said last week Kim and Trump had decided at the summit to continue talks, its Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told reporters Kim "might lose his willingness to pursue a deal" and questioned the need to continue.

US&nbsp;State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told a news briefing that the United States remains "in regular contact" with North Korea, but he declined to say whether they had been in contact since the summit.

Palladino said US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, who led pre-summit negotiation efforts, planned to meet his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on Wednesday.

Yonhap also quoted lawmakers briefed by intelligence officials as saying that the five-megawatt reactor at North Korea's main nuclear site at Yongbyon, which produces weapons-grade plutonium used to build bombs, had not been operational since late last year, concurring with a report from the UN atomic watchdog.

Yonhap quoted the sources as saying there had been no sign of reprocessing of plutonium from the reactor and that tunnels at North Korea's main nuclear test site in Punggye-ri had remained shut down and unattended since their widely publicized destruction in May, which Pyongyang said was proof of its commitment to ending nuclear testing.

The fate of the Yongbyon nuclear complex and its possible dismantling was a central issue in the Hanoi summit.

North Korea has restored part of a missile launch site it began to dismantle after pledging to do so in a first summit with US President Donald Trump last year, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency and two US think tanks reported on Tuesday.

North Korea has restored part of a missile launch site it began to dismantle after pledging to do so in a first summit with US President Donald Trump last year, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency and two US think tanks reported on Tuesday. Yonhap quoted lawmakers briefed by South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) as saying that the work was taking place at the Tongchang-ri launch site and involved replacing a roof and a door at the facility. Satellite images seen by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea project, showed that structures on the launch pad had been rebuilt sometime between Feb. 16 and March 2, Jenny Town, managing editor at the project and an analyst at the Stimson Center think tank, told Reuters. The Center for Strategic and International Studies released a report, also citing satellite imagery, that concluded North Korea is "pursuing a rapid rebuilding" at the site. "Activity is evident at the vertical engine test stand and the launch pad's rail-mounted rocket transfer structure," the CSIS report said. "Significantly, the environmental shelters on the umbilical tower, which are normally closed, have been opened to show the launch pad." The news comes days after a second summit on denuclearisation between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un broke down over differences on how far North Korea was willing to limit its nuclear programme and the degree of US willingness to ease sanctions. The summit took place in Hanoi on February 27 and 28. Trump told a news conference after an unprecedented first summit with Kim on June 12 in Singapore that the North Korean leader had promised that a major missile engine testing site would be destroyed very soon. Trump did not identify the site, but a US official subsequently told Reuters it was the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, which is located at Tongchang-ri. Asked to comment, the White House referred to the US State Department, which did not immediately respond. A US government source said the NIS was considered reliable on such issues, but added that the work described did not seem particularly alarming, and certainly not on a scale of resuming missile tests that have been suspended since 2017. Future dialogue? Kim Jong-un also pledged at a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in September to close Sohae and allow international experts to observe the dismantling of the missile engine-testing site and a launch pad. Signs that North Korea had begun acting on its pledge to Trump were detected in July when a Washington think tank said satellite images indicated work had begun at Sohae to dismantle a building used to assemble space-launch vehicles and a nearby rocket engine test stand used to develop liquid-fuel engines for ballistic missiles and space-launch vehicles. However, subsequent images indicated North Korea had halted work to dismantle the missile engine test site in the first part of August. The fact that the site had been dormant since August indicates the new activity is "deliberate and purposeful," the CSIS report said. The breakdown of the summit in Hanoi last week has raised questions about the future of US-North Korea dialogue. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he was hopeful he would send a delegation to North Korea in the coming weeks but that he had "no commitment yet." While North Korea's official media said last week Kim and Trump had decided at the summit to continue talks, its Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told reporters Kim "might lose his willingness to pursue a deal" and questioned the need to continue. US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told a news briefing that the United States remains "in regular contact" with North Korea, but he declined to say whether they had been in contact since the summit. Palladino said US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, who led pre-summit negotiation efforts, planned to meet his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on Wednesday. Yonhap also quoted lawmakers briefed by intelligence officials as saying that the five-megawatt reactor at North Korea's main nuclear site at Yongbyon, which produces weapons-grade plutonium used to build bombs, had not been operational since late last year, concurring with a report from the UN atomic watchdog. Yonhap quoted the sources as saying there had been no sign of reprocessing of plutonium from the reactor and that tunnels at North Korea's main nuclear test site in Punggye-ri had remained shut down and unattended since their widely publicized destruction in May, which Pyongyang said was proof of its commitment to ending nuclear testing. The fate of the Yongbyon nuclear complex and its possible dismantling was a central issue in the Hanoi summit.

North Korea rebuilding main missile site launch it promised Trump to dismantle: Report

The United States and North Korea on Friday put forward starkly different accounts over the breakdown of a high-stakes summit in Hanoi but offered guarded hope that they could meet again.

After weeks of building expectations and with a signing ceremony ready to go, President Donald Trump abruptly ended his second-ever meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and declared a deadlock.

"Sometimes you have to walk and this was just one of those times," an unusually downbeat Trump told reporters.

"Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that," Trump said before flying back to Washington.

In an exceptionally rare meeting with reporters, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho summoned the press in Hanoi at midnight and denied the White House account that Pyongyang was only seeking a complete deal.&nbsp;

North Korea had offered to "permanently and completely dismantle all the nuclear production facilities" at its main complex in Yongbyon if the US dropped sanctions "that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people", Ri said.

He warned that the North's stance was "invariable" and that its offer will "never change".

But North Korean state media -- which less than two years ago was branding Trump a "mentally deranged US dotard" -- offered a more conciliatory take, saying the summit had been "productive".

Kim and Trump "agreed to continue having productive talks to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the improvement of US-North Korea relations", the Korean Central News Agency said.

The North Koreans appeared to be thinking through their response to the often unpredictable Trump, who insisted that he could obtain a better deal.

"I'd much rather do it right than do it fast," Trump told reporters, reaffirming his "close relationship" with Kim.

"There's a warmth that we have and I hope that stays, I think it will."

Trump also said he hoped to see Kim again soon but offered no details.

'It will take a little while'

The outcome in Hanoi fell far short of hopes that the meeting would build on the leaders' summit in Singapore in June, which marked a historic first but resulted only in a vague commitment to "work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula".&nbsp;

Progress subsequently stalled, with the two sides disagreeing on what that means.

The US president has since frequently dangled the prospect of a brighter economic future for a nuclear-free North Korea, at one point tweeting there was "AWESOME" potential.

But it was not enough.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who accompanied Trump, said both sides "need to regroup" before agreeing to another meeting, adding: "My sense is it will take a little while."

Pompeo however also said "there's still a basis for believing that we can move forward".

Beyond the sub-par summit result, Trump came under fire at home for saying that Kim "didn't know" about the torture of an American college student jailed in the North.

Otto Warmbier, who was arrested for allegedly taking down a poster, returned home in 2017 in a coma and died soon afterward, with a US judge ruling that the 22-year-old had died from torture.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she thought there was "something wrong" with a US president choosing to believe "thugs" such as Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the US intelligence community.

'Major failure'

With a table already prepared for a working lunch and signing ceremony, Trump moved up his final news conference by two hours as he and Kim left without any accord.

"This is a major failure," tweeted Joe Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund peace foundation, saying it showed the limits of top-level summitry with "not enough time or staff" to work out a deal.&nbsp;

Trump flew around the world for the meeting and Kim undertook a mammoth two-and-a-half-day trek through China in his olive green train, travelling 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles).&nbsp;

Trump headed home, and Kim will stay on in Hanoi for a state visit.

The US leader placed calls from Air Force One to the leaders of US allies Japan and South Korea to discuss the summit, Sanders said.&nbsp;

Seoul said that Trump "expressed regret" to President Moon Jae-in, who helped arrange the summits, over not striking a deal with Kim.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a longstanding hawk on North Korea, told reporters that he "fully supports President Trump's decision to make no easy compromise".

In China, North Korea's primary ally, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang voiced understanding, saying that "solving this problem is definitely not something that can be achieved overnight"

'Rocket man'

As in Singapore, the two men put on a show of bonhomie in Vietnam -- a far cry from 2017, when Trump was mocking Kim as "rocket man" and threatening to "totally destroy" North Korea over its nuclear and missile tests.

The two leaders, nearly 40 years apart in age, appeared to share jokes in front of reporters and indulged in a poolside stroll Thursday around the gardens of the luxury Metropole Hotel.

Before the summit, there was talk that there could be a political declaration ending the 1950-53 Korean War, which finished technically with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Trump's failure to clinch a deal paradoxically brought him praise within his Republican Party -- some members had privately fretted that he was too eager to seal a historic accord.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that Trump "should be commended for his personal commitment to persuading Kim Jong Un to pursue a different path -- and for walking away when it became clear North Korea was not ready to commit enough to denuclearisation."&nbsp;

The United States and North Korea on Friday put forward starkly different accounts over the breakdown of a high-stakes summit in Hanoi but offered guarded hope that they could meet again.

The United States and North Korea on Friday put forward starkly different accounts over the breakdown of a high-stakes summit in Hanoi but offered guarded hope that they could meet again. After weeks of building expectations and with a signing ceremony ready to go, President Donald Trump abruptly ended his second-ever meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and declared a deadlock. "Sometimes you have to walk and this was just one of those times," an unusually downbeat Trump told reporters. "Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that," Trump said before flying back to Washington. In an exceptionally rare meeting with reporters, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho summoned the press in Hanoi at midnight and denied the White House account that Pyongyang was only seeking a complete deal. North Korea had offered to "permanently and completely dismantle all the nuclear production facilities" at its main complex in Yongbyon if the US dropped sanctions "that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people", Ri said. He warned that the North's stance was "invariable" and that its offer will "never change". But North Korean state media -- which less than two years ago was branding Trump a "mentally deranged US dotard" -- offered a more conciliatory take, saying the summit had been "productive". Kim and Trump "agreed to continue having productive talks to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and the improvement of US-North Korea relations", the Korean Central News Agency said. The North Koreans appeared to be thinking through their response to the often unpredictable Trump, who insisted that he could obtain a better deal. "I'd much rather do it right than do it fast," Trump told reporters, reaffirming his "close relationship" with Kim. "There's a warmth that we have and I hope that stays, I think it will." Trump also said he hoped to see Kim again soon but offered no details. 'It will take a little while' The outcome in Hanoi fell far short of hopes that the meeting would build on the leaders' summit in Singapore in June, which marked a historic first but resulted only in a vague commitment to "work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". Progress subsequently stalled, with the two sides disagreeing on what that means. The US president has since frequently dangled the prospect of a brighter economic future for a nuclear-free North Korea, at one point tweeting there was "AWESOME" potential. But it was not enough. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who accompanied Trump, said both sides "need to regroup" before agreeing to another meeting, adding: "My sense is it will take a little while." Pompeo however also said "there's still a basis for believing that we can move forward". Beyond the sub-par summit result, Trump came under fire at home for saying that Kim "didn't know" about the torture of an American college student jailed in the North. Otto Warmbier, who was arrested for allegedly taking down a poster, returned home in 2017 in a coma and died soon afterward, with a US judge ruling that the 22-year-old had died from torture. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she thought there was "something wrong" with a US president choosing to believe "thugs" such as Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the US intelligence community. 'Major failure' With a table already prepared for a working lunch and signing ceremony, Trump moved up his final news conference by two hours as he and Kim left without any accord. "This is a major failure," tweeted Joe Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund peace foundation, saying it showed the limits of top-level summitry with "not enough time or staff" to work out a deal. Trump flew around the world for the meeting and Kim undertook a mammoth two-and-a-half-day trek through China in his olive green train, travelling 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles). Trump headed home, and Kim will stay on in Hanoi for a state visit. The US leader placed calls from Air Force One to the leaders of US allies Japan and South Korea to discuss the summit, Sanders said. Seoul said that Trump "expressed regret" to President Moon Jae-in, who helped arrange the summits, over not striking a deal with Kim. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a longstanding hawk on North Korea, told reporters that he "fully supports President Trump's decision to make no easy compromise". In China, North Korea's primary ally, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang voiced understanding, saying that "solving this problem is definitely not something that can be achieved overnight" 'Rocket man' As in Singapore, the two men put on a show of bonhomie in Vietnam -- a far cry from 2017, when Trump was mocking Kim as "rocket man" and threatening to "totally destroy" North Korea over its nuclear and missile tests. The two leaders, nearly 40 years apart in age, appeared to share jokes in front of reporters and indulged in a poolside stroll Thursday around the gardens of the luxury Metropole Hotel. Before the summit, there was talk that there could be a political declaration ending the 1950-53 Korean War, which finished technically with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Trump's failure to clinch a deal paradoxically brought him praise within his Republican Party -- some members had privately fretted that he was too eager to seal a historic accord. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that Trump "should be commended for his personal commitment to persuading Kim Jong Un to pursue a different path -- and for walking away when it became clear North Korea was not ready to commit enough to denuclearisation."

Trump, Kim Jong-un agree to continue having productive talks on North Korea's denuclearisation

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he was in "no rush" to secure a deal over Pyongyang's nuclear programme, playing down expectations of an immediate breakthrough in high-stakes talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The two men who once traded personal insults and threats of destruction were <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hanoi-summit-trump-and-kim-expected-to-sign-joint-agreement-on-day-2-200139">holding their second meeting in eight months</a>, with analysts stressing it needs to produce more concrete progress than their initial historic get-together in Singapore.

The Singapore summit resulted in cosy images but only a vague commitment from Kim to "work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". Diplomacy has since stalled amid disagreements on what that actually means.

As they sat down for Thursday's formal discussions in Hanoi, Trump said he was in "no rush" to seal a deal and that "speed was not that important" to him as long as the North's pause in missile and nuclear testing continued.

"I can't speak necessarily for today, but I can say that this, a little bit longer-term, and over a period of time, I know we're going to have fantastic success with respect to Chairman Kim and North Korea," said Trump.

Trump again touted the possibility of impoverished North Korea becoming an "economic powerhouse" if it gave up its nuclear arsenal -- an outcome analysts say is extremely unlikely.

Kim is looking for relief from sanctions imposed on the North because of its weapons programmes, which saw tensions soar in 2017 before a wave of detente.&nbsp;

The Pyongyang strongman said there were "people who hold a sceptical view of our meeting" but pledged to seek "great, ultimately good results".

"I think watching us have a great time will be like watching a scene from a fantasy movie," he added.

The North maintains total control over every aspect of Kim's domestic appearances, but he even answered a shouted question from a foreign reporter -- believed to be unprecedented -- saying he was "not pessimistic" about the outcome.

The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspapers plastered photographs of their first Hanoi handshake on Wednesday over its front page, one of them appearing to show Trump bowing slightly as he took Kim's hand.

Poolside stroll

The two men have again displayed outward signs of an unlikely diplomatic bromance in Hanoi, clasping hands and appearing to share jokes on Wednesday.

Looking relaxed but appearing to say little, they indulged in a poolside stroll Thursday around the gardens of the luxury Metropole Hotel, a Colonial-era building that has played hosts to stars ranging from Charlie Chaplin to Brad Pitt.

It echoed a garden walkabout in Singapore, where the two men bonded over Trump's hulking car, the "Beast", with the US president allowing the younger man a glimpse inside.

It was a far cry from the height of missile-testing tensions in 2017 when Trump slammed Kim as "rocket man" and the younger man branded the American president a "mentally deranged US dotard".

The summit was "pageantry for Trump and brings Kim more credibility on the world stage as a responsible, rational actor", the Stimson Center's David Kim told AFP.

"But I would define success in terms of outcomes. A decent outcome if we can get some concrete and verifiable commitments toward denuclearisation," he said, although the US would have to "trust but verify".&nbsp;

But scandal back home in Washington threatens to distract Trump with his former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen calling him a "racist" and a "conman" during a congressional hearing.

The president already showed he had the testimony at the back of his mind when he tweeted about it before his first meeting with Kim, saying Cohen -- who has been sentenced to three years in jail -- was "lying in order to reduce his prison time".

In addition to relief from biting sanctions, Kim is also seeking security guarantees for him and his regime.

One carrot could be a declaration on the Korean War, which ended in 1953 with an armistice, not a formal peace treaty. Asked about that before Wednesday's dinner, Trump merely replied: "We'll see."

Also mooted is the possibility of opening liaison offices, the first step on the road to normalising diplomatic relations.

In return, Kim might pledge to destroy North Korea's decades-old Yongbyon nuclear complex, which has long been at the heart of Pyongyang's atomic development but remains shrouded in secrecy -- and North Korea has promised to mothball it twice before.

Trump had already tempered expectations in the run-up to the Hanoi summit, saying he was content if North Korea continued its pause in nuclear and missile testing.

In Vietnam, Trump has frequently pointed to the recent history of the host country -- once a war-torn foe of the United States, now enjoying an economic boom with the growth of more than seven per cent.

Ahead of the talks, he hailed Kim as a "friend" and said North Korea could enjoy an "AWESOME" future if it gave up its nuclear weapons.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he was in "no rush" to secure a deal over Pyongyang's nuclear programme, playing down expectations of an immediate breakthrough in high-stakes talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he was in "no rush" to secure a deal over Pyongyang's nuclear programme, playing down expectations of an immediate breakthrough in high-stakes talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The two men who once traded personal insults and threats of destruction were holding their second meeting in eight months, with analysts stressing it needs to produce more concrete progress than their initial historic get-together in Singapore. The Singapore summit resulted in cosy images but only a vague commitment from Kim to "work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". Diplomacy has since stalled amid disagreements on what that actually means. As they sat down for Thursday's formal discussions in Hanoi, Trump said he was in "no rush" to seal a deal and that "speed was not that important" to him as long as the North's pause in missile and nuclear testing continued. "I can't speak necessarily for today, but I can say that this, a little bit longer-term, and over a period of time, I know we're going to have fantastic success with respect to Chairman Kim and North Korea," said Trump. Trump again touted the possibility of impoverished North Korea becoming an "economic powerhouse" if it gave up its nuclear arsenal -- an outcome analysts say is extremely unlikely. Kim is looking for relief from sanctions imposed on the North because of its weapons programmes, which saw tensions soar in 2017 before a wave of detente. The Pyongyang strongman said there were "people who hold a sceptical view of our meeting" but pledged to seek "great, ultimately good results". "I think watching us have a great time will be like watching a scene from a fantasy movie," he added. The North maintains total control over every aspect of Kim's domestic appearances, but he even answered a shouted question from a foreign reporter -- believed to be unprecedented -- saying he was "not pessimistic" about the outcome. The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspapers plastered photographs of their first Hanoi handshake on Wednesday over its front page, one of them appearing to show Trump bowing slightly as he took Kim's hand. Poolside stroll The two men have again displayed outward signs of an unlikely diplomatic bromance in Hanoi, clasping hands and appearing to share jokes on Wednesday. Looking relaxed but appearing to say little, they indulged in a poolside stroll Thursday around the gardens of the luxury Metropole Hotel, a Colonial-era building that has played hosts to stars ranging from Charlie Chaplin to Brad Pitt. It echoed a garden walkabout in Singapore, where the two men bonded over Trump's hulking car, the "Beast", with the US president allowing the younger man a glimpse inside. It was a far cry from the height of missile-testing tensions in 2017 when Trump slammed Kim as "rocket man" and the younger man branded the American president a "mentally deranged US dotard". The summit was "pageantry for Trump and brings Kim more credibility on the world stage as a responsible, rational actor", the Stimson Center's David Kim told AFP. "But I would define success in terms of outcomes. A decent outcome if we can get some concrete and verifiable commitments toward denuclearisation," he said, although the US would have to "trust but verify". But scandal back home in Washington threatens to distract Trump with his former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen calling him a "racist" and a "conman" during a congressional hearing. The president already showed he had the testimony at the back of his mind when he tweeted about it before his first meeting with Kim, saying Cohen -- who has been sentenced to three years in jail -- was "lying in order to reduce his prison time". In addition to relief from biting sanctions, Kim is also seeking security guarantees for him and his regime. One carrot could be a declaration on the Korean War, which ended in 1953 with an armistice, not a formal peace treaty. Asked about that before Wednesday's dinner, Trump merely replied: "We'll see." Also mooted is the possibility of opening liaison offices, the first step on the road to normalising diplomatic relations. In return, Kim might pledge to destroy North Korea's decades-old Yongbyon nuclear complex, which has long been at the heart of Pyongyang's atomic development but remains shrouded in secrecy -- and North Korea has promised to mothball it twice before. Trump had already tempered expectations in the run-up to the Hanoi summit, saying he was content if North Korea continued its pause in nuclear and missile testing. In Vietnam, Trump has frequently pointed to the recent history of the host country -- once a war-torn foe of the United States, now enjoying an economic boom with the growth of more than seven per cent. Ahead of the talks, he hailed Kim as a "friend" and said North Korea could enjoy an "AWESOME" future if it gave up its nuclear weapons.

Hanoi summit: 'In no rush, we want to do the right deal', says Trump ahead of joint agreement signing

North Korean leader <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-sets-off-by-train-to-vietnam-for-summit-with-trump-report-199156">Kim Jong Un</a> angered historically Beijing in the past with his weapons tests, but relations have since improved, showing China remains a key diplomatic player as he cosies up to Donald Trump.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-and-kim-to-have-one-one-one-meeting-at-vietnam-summit-198849">Trump and Kim are due to meet in Hanoi </a>from February 27-28 -- their second face-to-face since a summit in Singapore in June that produced a vaguely worded agreement on denuclearisation.

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-want-my-children-to-bear-burden-of-nuclear-arms-says-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-199161"> I don't want my children to bear </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-want-my-children-to-bear-burden-of-nuclear-arms-says-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-199161">burden</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-want-my-children-to-bear-burden-of-nuclear-arms-says-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-199161"> of nuclear arms, says North Korea's Kim Jong-un</a>

Here is a look at how China continues to make its presence felt as the summit approaches.

Why did the Cold War allies have a falling out?

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics%3A-china-provides-top-security-to-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-145914">China has supported the Kim dynasty</a> since the Korean War, but Pyongyang's nuclear programme has threatened Beijing's desire for stability in the region and strained the relationship between the Cold War allies.&nbsp;

Ties dropped to a low point in 2017 following a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests, with China backing a raft of UN sanctions, including bans on North Korean exports of coal, iron and seafood.

"Previously China saw North Korea as a useful buffer against the US," said Zhao Tong, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing.

But Pyongyang's weapons testing has created headaches for Beijing, "and China felt North Korea was increasingly becoming a liability rather than an asset," he added. &nbsp;

Why have relations improved?

A turning point came when <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-ends-beijing-visit-as-trump-summit-looms-189192">Kim travelled to Beijing to meet with President Xi Jinping </a>last year -- the young leader's first foreign trip since he came to power.

Since then, the leaders have met three more times in China, though Xi has yet to act on invitations to visit North Korea.

A closer relationship with Beijing gives Pyongyang leverage over the US, analysts say. As North Korea's main trading partner and sole major ally, China's economic support and diplomatic backing are also crucial to Pyongyang in case talks with the US fall through.

"Kim may be working to play China and the United States off of each other -- in making frequent visits to Beijing, Kim is signalling to the Trump administration that he has other options," said Emily Weinstein, a research analyst at Pointe Bello.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-the-china-north-korea-unholy-nexus-28306">The China-North Korea unholy nexus</a>

But the improved ties should not be exaggerated, said Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"I believe that Kim recognises that he must show some deference to China, but he seeks to reduce his country's dependence on China and diversify its options," she said.

Is China worried about Trump and Kim's bromance?

Despite the frequent meetings, there appears to be little love lost between the Asian leaders.

Former US ambassador to China Max Baucus told the BBC in 2017 that Xi "does not like that man (Kim) at all", and analysts say their relationship is strategic rather than one based on trust.

In contrast, Kim and Trump have shifted from trading vicious personal attacks to a budding bromance, with the US president saying they "fell in love" upon exchanging a series of letters following their meeting in Singapore.

Personal chemistry aside, the prospect of closer ties between Washington and Pyongyang is worrying for Beijing, which wants to keep Pyongyang out of America's sphere of influence but also wants denuclearisation, analysts say.

"Beijing fears a fundamental shift that would result in the US having a better relationship with North Korea than China has," said Glaser, adding that this is an unlikely outcome in the near term.

"A Trump-Kim deal in which the US and North Korea keep talking and there is incremental progress toward the goal of denuclearisation is beneficial for China."

How has China kept its influence over North Korea?

China's influence is palpable as the summit approaches, with Kim making another trip to Beijing last month -- seen by analysts as a meeting to coordinate strategy with Xi.

Kim could meet with Xi again before the summit, as his train reportedly crossed into China late Saturday.&nbsp;

Though his presence on board the train was not confirmed, a long train ride across his giant neighbour to reach Vietnam is another symbol of China's unavoidable role in the diplomatic shuffle.&nbsp;

Beijing lent Kim a plane to travel to Singapore in June.

China called for easing sanctions on Pyongyang in September, undercutting the US attempts to exert international pressure on Pyongyang to give up its weapons program.

"China has resumed some of the economic and trading relationships with North Korea and that has been very helpful for North Korea to survive under the very harsh international maximum pressure campaign led by the United States," said Zhao.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un angered historically Beijing in the past with his weapons tests, but relations have since improved, showing China remains a key diplomatic player as he cosies up to Donald Trump.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un angered historically Beijing in the past with his weapons tests, but relations have since improved, showing China remains a key diplomatic player as he cosies up to Donald Trump. Trump and Kim are due to meet in Hanoi from February 27-28 -- their second face-to-face since a summit in Singapore in June that produced a vaguely worded agreement on denuclearisation. Also read: I don't want my children to bear burden of nuclear arms, says North Korea's Kim Jong-un Here is a look at how China continues to make its presence felt as the summit approaches. Why did the Cold War allies have a falling out? China has supported the Kim dynasty since the Korean War, but Pyongyang's nuclear programme has threatened Beijing's desire for stability in the region and strained the relationship between the Cold War allies. Ties dropped to a low point in 2017 following a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests, with China backing a raft of UN sanctions, including bans on North Korean exports of coal, iron and seafood. "Previously China saw North Korea as a useful buffer against the US," said Zhao Tong, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing. But Pyongyang's weapons testing has created headaches for Beijing, "and China felt North Korea was increasingly becoming a liability rather than an asset," he added. Why have relations improved? A turning point came when Kim travelled to Beijing to meet with President Xi Jinping last year -- the young leader's first foreign trip since he came to power. Since then, the leaders have met three more times in China, though Xi has yet to act on invitations to visit North Korea. A closer relationship with Beijing gives Pyongyang leverage over the US, analysts say. As North Korea's main trading partner and sole major ally, China's economic support and diplomatic backing are also crucial to Pyongyang in case talks with the US fall through. "Kim may be working to play China and the United States off of each other -- in making frequent visits to Beijing, Kim is signalling to the Trump administration that he has other options," said Emily Weinstein, a research analyst at Pointe Bello. Also read: The China-North Korea unholy nexus But the improved ties should not be exaggerated, said Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "I believe that Kim recognises that he must show some deference to China, but he seeks to reduce his country's dependence on China and diversify its options," she said. Is China worried about Trump and Kim's bromance? Despite the frequent meetings, there appears to be little love lost between the Asian leaders. Former US ambassador to China Max Baucus told the BBC in 2017 that Xi "does not like that man (Kim) at all", and analysts say their relationship is strategic rather than one based on trust. In contrast, Kim and Trump have shifted from trading vicious personal attacks to a budding bromance, with the US president saying they "fell in love" upon exchanging a series of letters following their meeting in Singapore. Personal chemistry aside, the prospect of closer ties between Washington and Pyongyang is worrying for Beijing, which wants to keep Pyongyang out of America's sphere of influence but also wants denuclearisation, analysts say. "Beijing fears a fundamental shift that would result in the US having a better relationship with North Korea than China has," said Glaser, adding that this is an unlikely outcome in the near term. "A Trump-Kim deal in which the US and North Korea keep talking and there is incremental progress toward the goal of denuclearisation is beneficial for China." How has China kept its influence over North Korea? China's influence is palpable as the summit approaches, with Kim making another trip to Beijing last month -- seen by analysts as a meeting to coordinate strategy with Xi. Kim could meet with Xi again before the summit, as his train reportedly crossed into China late Saturday. Though his presence on board the train was not confirmed, a long train ride across his giant neighbour to reach Vietnam is another symbol of China's unavoidable role in the diplomatic shuffle. Beijing lent Kim a plane to travel to Singapore in June. China called for easing sanctions on Pyongyang in September, undercutting the US attempts to exert international pressure on Pyongyang to give up its weapons program. "China has resumed some of the economic and trading relationships with North Korea and that has been very helpful for North Korea to survive under the very harsh international maximum pressure campaign led by the United States," said Zhao.

Why China remains key player as US, North Korea meet

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un set off by train for Vietnam on Saturday, for his second summit with US President Donald Trump next week, Russia's TASS news agency reported.

The report came hours after Vietnam announced that<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-to-make-official-visit-to-vietnam-in-coming-days-199120"> Kim would make an official visit in "coming days"</a>, as the Southeast Asian country prepares to host the summit with Trump on Wednesday and Thursday.

No details of the leaders' travel arrangements, or for the summit, have been officially released.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/kim-trump-lookalikes-commit-to-peace-ahead-of-hanoi-summit-199009#heavily-bronzed-and-freshly-coiffed-impersonators-198990">Kim, Trump lookalikes commit to 'peace' ahead of Hanoi summit</a>

A landmark first summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore in June produced a promise by Kim to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the divided Korean Peninsula. But progress has been scant.

Kim left the North Korean capital of Pyongyang at around 5 pm (0800 GMT) in an armoured train, TASS said, citing a North Korean diplomatic source.

North Korea's state media has yet to confirm either Kim's trip to Vietnam or his summit with Trump.

It could take Kim at least two and a half days to travel thousands of kilometres through China by train to Vietnam.

His train is expected to stop at the Vietnamese border station of Dong Dang, where he will disembark and drive 170 km (105 miles) to Hanoi by car, the sources said earlier.

Kim is visiting Vietnam at the invitation of President Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also general secretary of the ruling Communist Party, Vietnam's foreign ministry said in a statement earlier on Saturday, but it gave no further details.

Vietnamese police have stepped up security around the border station ahead of Kim's arrival.

On February 26, Vietnam will ban traffic on the road Kim is expected to take to Hanoi from a station on the Chinese border, state media said.

The preferred location for the summit is the Government Guesthouse, a colonial-era building in central Hanoi, three sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

They said the Metropole Hotel would be a backup location for the summit and Kim could possibly stay in the Melia hotel. A Reuters witness saw workers laying communication cables in the streets behind the Metropole late on Friday.

At the same time, some foreign media organisations received a note from Vietnam's foreign ministry prohibiting live broadcasts in and around the Melia hotel and Hoan Kiem lake in the centre of Hanoi.

The JW Marriott hotel, where Trump is widely expected to stay, will also be out of bounds to live broadcasts, according to a copy of the note reviewed by Reuters.

Several hotels visited by Reuters on Saturday around the scenic Hoan Kiem lake said they had been told by the authorities to restrict access to their rooftops.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un set off by train for Vietnam on Saturday, for his second summit with US President Donald Trump next week, Russia's TASS news agency reported.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un set off by train for Vietnam on Saturday, for his second summit with US President Donald Trump next week, Russia's TASS news agency reported. The report came hours after Vietnam announced that Kim would make an official visit in "coming days", as the Southeast Asian country prepares to host the summit with Trump on Wednesday and Thursday. No details of the leaders' travel arrangements, or for the summit, have been officially released. Also read: Kim, Trump lookalikes commit to 'peace' ahead of Hanoi summit A landmark first summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore in June produced a promise by Kim to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the divided Korean Peninsula. But progress has been scant. Kim left the North Korean capital of Pyongyang at around 5 pm (0800 GMT) in an armoured train, TASS said, citing a North Korean diplomatic source. North Korea's state media has yet to confirm either Kim's trip to Vietnam or his summit with Trump. It could take Kim at least two and a half days to travel thousands of kilometres through China by train to Vietnam. His train is expected to stop at the Vietnamese border station of Dong Dang, where he will disembark and drive 170 km (105 miles) to Hanoi by car, the sources said earlier. Kim is visiting Vietnam at the invitation of President Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also general secretary of the ruling Communist Party, Vietnam's foreign ministry said in a statement earlier on Saturday, but it gave no further details. Vietnamese police have stepped up security around the border station ahead of Kim's arrival. On February 26, Vietnam will ban traffic on the road Kim is expected to take to Hanoi from a station on the Chinese border, state media said. The preferred location for the summit is the Government Guesthouse, a colonial-era building in central Hanoi, three sources told Reuters on Wednesday. They said the Metropole Hotel would be a backup location for the summit and Kim could possibly stay in the Melia hotel. A Reuters witness saw workers laying communication cables in the streets behind the Metropole late on Friday. At the same time, some foreign media organisations received a note from Vietnam's foreign ministry prohibiting live broadcasts in and around the Melia hotel and Hoan Kiem lake in the centre of Hanoi. The JW Marriott hotel, where Trump is widely expected to stay, will also be out of bounds to live broadcasts, according to a copy of the note reviewed by Reuters. Several hotels visited by Reuters on Saturday around the scenic Hoan Kiem lake said they had been told by the authorities to restrict access to their rooftops.

North Korea's Kim sets off by train to Vietnam for Hanoi summit with Trump: Report

Fake news: Kim, Trump lookalikes commit to 'peace' ahead of Hanoi summit

Twelve North Korean officials -- including Kim Jong Un's de-facto chief of staff -- were en-route to Vietnam Friday ahead of a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/what-to-expect-from-the-trump-kim-summit-ii-197109">second scheduled summit </a>between Kim and US President Donald Trump, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.

The North Koreans had arrived in Beijing and were expected to board a plane bound for the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, Yonhap said, with the high-stakes meeting now less than two weeks away.

"A group of 12 North Koreans, including Kim Chang Son, were on the boarding list," Yonhap said, citing a source in the capital.

Kim Chang Son was part of the team overseeing protocol in the run-up to the first Trump-Kim summit and Yonhap said the delegation was expected to have discussions with US officials on the logistical preparations for the Hanoi meeting.

The identities of the 11 other officials were not reported.

Pyongyang has yet to provide any official confirmation of the Feb 27-28 summit, which will be the second time the two leaders come together following their June 12 Singapore meeting.

That produced a vaguely-worded document in which Kim pledged to work towards denuclearisation -- with no hard timeline agreed.

In preparation for Hanoi, US envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun was last week in Pyongyang for three days of talks with officials.

Biegun said they had been productive, but more dialogue was needed.

"We have some hard work to do with the DPRK between now and then," Biegun said, adding that he was "confident that if both sides stay committed we can make real progress here".

The US State Department said talks during Biegun's trip explored Trump and Kim's "commitments of complete denuclearization, transforming US-DPRK relations and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula".

Specifically, discussions on declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War could have been on the table, with Biegun last month saying Trump was "ready to end this war".

The three-year conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas still technically at war, with the US keeping 28,500 troops in the South.

Earlier this week Vietnam's foreign minister Pham Binh Minh visited Pyongyang but no details on their discussions have been announced.

Experts say tangible progress on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons will be needed for the second summit if it is to avoid being dismissed as "reality TV".

The commander of US forces in South Korea said earlier this week that he had seen "little to no verifiable change" in North Korea's military capabilities.

General Robert Abrams, the new head of US Forces Korea, said although the Singapore summit had helped dial down tensions on the Korean peninsula, it had not led to substantive changes.

North Korea, which holds most of the peninsula's mineral resources, was once wealthier than the South, but decades of mismanagement and the demise of its former paymaster, the Soviet Union, have left it deeply impoverished.&nbsp;

In 2017 the UN Security Council banned the North's main exports -- coal and other mineral resources, fisheries and textile products -- to cut off its access to hard currency in response to Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Trump has said that North Korea will become a "great Economic Powerhouse" under Kim.

Twelve North Korean officials -- including Kim Jong Un's de-facto chief of staff -- were en-route to Vietnam Friday ahead of a second scheduled summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.

Twelve North Korean officials -- including Kim Jong Un's de-facto chief of staff -- were en-route to Vietnam Friday ahead of a second scheduled summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said. The North Koreans had arrived in Beijing and were expected to board a plane bound for the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, Yonhap said, with the high-stakes meeting now less than two weeks away. "A group of 12 North Koreans, including Kim Chang Son, were on the boarding list," Yonhap said, citing a source in the capital. Kim Chang Son was part of the team overseeing protocol in the run-up to the first Trump-Kim summit and Yonhap said the delegation was expected to have discussions with US officials on the logistical preparations for the Hanoi meeting. The identities of the 11 other officials were not reported. Pyongyang has yet to provide any official confirmation of the Feb 27-28 summit, which will be the second time the two leaders come together following their June 12 Singapore meeting. That produced a vaguely-worded document in which Kim pledged to work towards denuclearisation -- with no hard timeline agreed. In preparation for Hanoi, US envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun was last week in Pyongyang for three days of talks with officials. Biegun said they had been productive, but more dialogue was needed. "We have some hard work to do with the DPRK between now and then," Biegun said, adding that he was "confident that if both sides stay committed we can make real progress here". The US State Department said talks during Biegun's trip explored Trump and Kim's "commitments of complete denuclearization, transforming US-DPRK relations and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula". Specifically, discussions on declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War could have been on the table, with Biegun last month saying Trump was "ready to end this war". The three-year conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas still technically at war, with the US keeping 28,500 troops in the South. Earlier this week Vietnam's foreign minister Pham Binh Minh visited Pyongyang but no details on their discussions have been announced. Experts say tangible progress on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons will be needed for the second summit if it is to avoid being dismissed as "reality TV". The commander of US forces in South Korea said earlier this week that he had seen "little to no verifiable change" in North Korea's military capabilities. General Robert Abrams, the new head of US Forces Korea, said although the Singapore summit had helped dial down tensions on the Korean peninsula, it had not led to substantive changes. North Korea, which holds most of the peninsula's mineral resources, was once wealthier than the South, but decades of mismanagement and the demise of its former paymaster, the Soviet Union, have left it deeply impoverished. In 2017 the UN Security Council banned the North's main exports -- coal and other mineral resources, fisheries and textile products -- to cut off its access to hard currency in response to Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Trump has said that North Korea will become a "great Economic Powerhouse" under Kim.

North Korea officials en-route to Vietnam ahead of Trump-Kim summit

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-envoy-to-hold-talks-in-north-korea-on-wednesday-195180">US State Department</a> announced Friday that the special <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-envoy-back-from-north-korea-after-talks-on-trump-kim-summit-196109">US envoy for North Korea</a> will meet again with Pyongyang officials before a second summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un — hours after he returned to Seoul from talks in the North on the summit's agenda.

In a statement, the State Department said talks during Stephen Biegun's three-day trip explored Trump and Kim's "commitments of complete denuclearisation, transforming US-DPRK relations and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula" in preparation for the much-anticipated summit in Vietnam on February 27 and 28.

Biegun landed at Osan US Air Base Friday evening, foreign ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk told AFP.

The State Department confirmed Biegun agreed to meet his North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok Chol again before the summit.

North Korea has yet to provide any official confirmation of the summit and Kim Jong Un appeared to make no mention of it during a meeting Friday with the top brass of the Korean People’s Army.

As reported by state media, the meeting focused on the need to modernise the military while maintaining party discipline in the ranks.

Biegun is expected to share details of his Pyongyang meetings with his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Saturday.

Attention will focus on whether the US team have offered to lift some economic sanctions in return for Pyongyang taking concrete steps towards denuclearisation.

Discussions on declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War could also have been on the table, with Biegun last week saying Trump was "ready to end this war".

The three-year conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas still technically at war, with the US keeping 28,500 troops in the South.&nbsp;

The US envoy was also likely to have discussed with his counterpart protocol and security matters for the upcoming Trump-Kim summit.

At their landmark summit in Singapore last year, the mercurial US and North Korean leaders produced a vaguely worded document in which Kim pledged to work towards "the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula".

But progress has since stalled, with the two sides disagreeing over what that means.

Experts say tangible progress on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons will be needed for the second summit if it is to avoid being dismissed as "reality TV". 
&nbsp;&nbsp;

The US State Department announced Friday that the special US envoy for North Korea will meet again with Pyongyang officials before a second summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un — hours after he returned to Seoul from talks in the North on the summit's agenda.

The US State Department announced Friday that the special US envoy for North Korea will meet again with Pyongyang officials before a second summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un — hours after he returned to Seoul from talks in the North on the summit's agenda. In a statement, the State Department said talks during Stephen Biegun's three-day trip explored Trump and Kim's "commitments of complete denuclearisation, transforming US-DPRK relations and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula" in preparation for the much-anticipated summit in Vietnam on February 27 and 28. Biegun landed at Osan US Air Base Friday evening, foreign ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk told AFP. The State Department confirmed Biegun agreed to meet his North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok Chol again before the summit. North Korea has yet to provide any official confirmation of the summit and Kim Jong Un appeared to make no mention of it during a meeting Friday with the top brass of the Korean People’s Army. As reported by state media, the meeting focused on the need to modernise the military while maintaining party discipline in the ranks. Biegun is expected to share details of his Pyongyang meetings with his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Saturday. Attention will focus on whether the US team have offered to lift some economic sanctions in return for Pyongyang taking concrete steps towards denuclearisation. Discussions on declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War could also have been on the table, with Biegun last week saying Trump was "ready to end this war". The three-year conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas still technically at war, with the US keeping 28,500 troops in the South. The US envoy was also likely to have discussed with his counterpart protocol and security matters for the upcoming Trump-Kim summit. At their landmark summit in Singapore last year, the mercurial US and North Korean leaders produced a vaguely worded document in which Kim pledged to work towards "the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula". But progress has since stalled, with the two sides disagreeing over what that means. Experts say tangible progress on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons will be needed for the second summit if it is to avoid being dismissed as "reality TV".

US envoy to meet North Korea counterpart again ahead of Trump-Kim summit

The US special envoy for North Korea will meet with his North Korean counterpart on Wednesday in Pyongyang to<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-calls-on-north-korea-to-provide-full-list-of-weapons-programs-to-seal-peace-deal-194181"> prepare for a summit</a> later this month between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the US State Department said on Monday.

The US&nbsp;envoy Stephen Biegun said last week he aimed in working-level negotiations with his new North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok Chol to map out "a set of concrete deliverables" for the second summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Biegun said he would be aiming for "a roadmap of negotiations and declarations going forward, and a shared understanding of the desired outcomes of our joint efforts."

An unprecedented first summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un last June in Singapore yielded a vague commitment by Kim to work towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, where US&nbsp;troops have been stationed since the 1950-53 Korean War.

In the US view, Pyongyang has yet to take concrete steps to give up a nuclear weapons programme that threatens the United States, while North Korea has complained that Washington has done little to reciprocate its freezing of nuclear and missile testing and dismantling of some nuclear facilities.

Pyongyang has repeatedly urged a lifting of punishing US-led sanctions, a formal end to the war, and security guarantees.

On Thursday, Biegun said Kim Jong Un had committed during an October visit by US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the dismantling and destruction his country's plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities in return for "corresponding measures" from the United States.

Biegun said such corresponding steps would be the subject of this week's talks and Washington was willing to discuss "many actions" to improve ties and entice Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. At the same time, he set out an extensive list of demands, including a full disclosure of North Korea's arms programme.

Biegun held talks with South Korean officials in Seoul on Sunday and Monday.

Trump on Thursday hailed "tremendous progress" in his dealings with North Korea and said the date and location of a second summit would be announced "early next week" - probably during his State of the Union speech on Tuesday.

Vietnam's central resort town of Danang has been seen as the most likely location.

The director of US national intelligence, Dan Coats, told Congress on Tuesday that North Korea was unlikely to give up all its nuclear weapons and has continued activity inconsistent with pledges to denuclearise.

The US special envoy for North Korea will meet with his North Korean counterpart on Wednesday in Pyongyang to prepare for a summit later this month between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the US State Department said on Monday.

The US special envoy for North Korea will meet with his North Korean counterpart on Wednesday in Pyongyang to prepare for a summit later this month between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the US State Department said on Monday. The US envoy Stephen Biegun said last week he aimed in working-level negotiations with his new North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok Chol to map out "a set of concrete deliverables" for the second summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un. Biegun said he would be aiming for "a roadmap of negotiations and declarations going forward, and a shared understanding of the desired outcomes of our joint efforts." An unprecedented first summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un last June in Singapore yielded a vague commitment by Kim to work towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, where US troops have been stationed since the 1950-53 Korean War. In the US view, Pyongyang has yet to take concrete steps to give up a nuclear weapons programme that threatens the United States, while North Korea has complained that Washington has done little to reciprocate its freezing of nuclear and missile testing and dismantling of some nuclear facilities. Pyongyang has repeatedly urged a lifting of punishing US-led sanctions, a formal end to the war, and security guarantees. On Thursday, Biegun said Kim Jong Un had committed during an October visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the dismantling and destruction his country's plutonium and uranium enrichment facilities in return for "corresponding measures" from the United States. Biegun said such corresponding steps would be the subject of this week's talks and Washington was willing to discuss "many actions" to improve ties and entice Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. At the same time, he set out an extensive list of demands, including a full disclosure of North Korea's arms programme. Biegun held talks with South Korean officials in Seoul on Sunday and Monday. Trump on Thursday hailed "tremendous progress" in his dealings with North Korea and said the date and location of a second summit would be announced "early next week" - probably during his State of the Union speech on Tuesday. Vietnam's central resort town of Danang has been seen as the most likely location. The director of US national intelligence, Dan Coats, told Congress on Tuesday that North Korea was unlikely to give up all its nuclear weapons and has continued activity inconsistent with pledges to denuclearise.

US envoy to hold talks in North Korea on Wednesday

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-sending-military-to-venezuela-an-option-cbs-194884">US President Donald Trump</a> has said he does not always agree with the conclusions of his intelligence chiefs and pointed out past intelligence failures as a reason to reject their assessments of the threats posed by Iran and North Korea.

Trump rebuked his intelligence chiefs last week after his director of national intelligence and leaders of the CIA and FBI testified before Congress on global threats and contradicted the president on Iran, North Korea and ISIS.&nbsp;

During a Congressional hearing last week, top American spymasters Dan Coats, National Intelligence Director, and Gina Haspel, CIA Director, told lawmakers that Iran was abiding by the 2015 nuclear deal.&nbsp;

Trump said he disagrees with the assessment of his intelligence leaders that Iran is abiding by the nuclear deal. He claimed that Iran is going ahead with its nuclear weapons programme.&nbsp;

He also said the national security advisers' false assessment on Iraq led the US to engage in a war that it should never have been.&nbsp;

The US' intelligence services had said that the then Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction that became the basis of the American invasion in the Middle East nation. However, the assessment was later proven wrong, he said.&nbsp;

"I have intel people, but that does not mean I have to agree (with their assessments)...People that said, Saddam Hussein...In Iraq had nuclear weapons...Those intel people didn't know what the hell they were doing, and they got us tied up in a war that we should have never been in," Trump told CBS News in an interview.&nbsp;

As a result of that intelligence assessment under the Bush administration, Trump said the US spent $7 trillion in the Middle East and lost hundreds of lives.

Trump said he disagrees with the assessment of his intelligence leaders that Iran is abiding by the nuclear deal. He claimed that Iran is going ahead with its nuclear weapons programme.&nbsp;

"When I look at Iran, I look at it as a nation that has caused tremendous problems," he said.

In 2015, Iran agreed to a long-term deal on its nuclear programme with the P5+1 group of world powers - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany.

It came after years of tension over Iran's alleged efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran insisted that its nuclear programme was entirely peaceful, but the international community did not believe that.

Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

Trump in May last year withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal, calling it "defective at its core".

Trump also indicated that he is not in sync with the assessment of his intelligence chief on the nuclear weapons programme of North Korea.&nbsp;

North Korea is unlikely to fully give up its nuclear weapons, the US intelligence report said.

Asserting that there has been tremendous progress in the ties between the US and North Korea, Trump said both he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are looking forward to the scheduled meeting between them, the exact date and venue of which will be announced in the next few days.&nbsp;

"He (Kim) is looking forward to it. I am looking forward to it. We have made tremendous progress...(Kim) has a chance to have North Korea becoming an economic behemoth. (North Korea) has a chance to be one of the great economic countries in the world. (Kim) He can't do that with nuclear weapons," he said.&nbsp;

Trump and Kim met in Singapore last June to discuss denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

At the time, Mr Trump claimed this meeting had ended the North Korean nuclear threat.

The two leaders signed an agreement pledging to "work toward complete denuclearisation" but there was no agreed pathway and little progress has been made since then on the issue.

US President Donald Trump has said he does not always agree with the conclusions of his intelligence chiefs and pointed out past intelligence failures as a reason to reject their assessments of the threats posed by Iran and North Korea.

US President Donald Trump has said he does not always agree with the conclusions of his intelligence chiefs and pointed out past intelligence failures as a reason to reject their assessments of the threats posed by Iran and North Korea. Trump rebuked his intelligence chiefs last week after his director of national intelligence and leaders of the CIA and FBI testified before Congress on global threats and contradicted the president on Iran, North Korea and ISIS. During a Congressional hearing last week, top American spymasters Dan Coats, National Intelligence Director, and Gina Haspel, CIA Director, told lawmakers that Iran was abiding by the 2015 nuclear deal. Trump said he disagrees with the assessment of his intelligence leaders that Iran is abiding by the nuclear deal. He claimed that Iran is going ahead with its nuclear weapons programme. He also said the national security advisers' false assessment on Iraq led the US to engage in a war that it should never have been. The US' intelligence services had said that the then Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction that became the basis of the American invasion in the Middle East nation. However, the assessment was later proven wrong, he said. "I have intel people, but that does not mean I have to agree (with their assessments)...People that said, Saddam Hussein...In Iraq had nuclear weapons...Those intel people didn't know what the hell they were doing, and they got us tied up in a war that we should have never been in," Trump told CBS News in an interview. As a result of that intelligence assessment under the Bush administration, Trump said the US spent $7 trillion in the Middle East and lost hundreds of lives. Trump said he disagrees with the assessment of his intelligence leaders that Iran is abiding by the nuclear deal. He claimed that Iran is going ahead with its nuclear weapons programme. "When I look at Iran, I look at it as a nation that has caused tremendous problems," he said. In 2015, Iran agreed to a long-term deal on its nuclear programme with the P5+1 group of world powers - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany. It came after years of tension over Iran's alleged efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran insisted that its nuclear programme was entirely peaceful, but the international community did not believe that. Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions. Trump in May last year withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal, calling it "defective at its core". Trump also indicated that he is not in sync with the assessment of his intelligence chief on the nuclear weapons programme of North Korea. North Korea is unlikely to fully give up its nuclear weapons, the US intelligence report said. Asserting that there has been tremendous progress in the ties between the US and North Korea, Trump said both he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are looking forward to the scheduled meeting between them, the exact date and venue of which will be announced in the next few days. "He (Kim) is looking forward to it. I am looking forward to it. We have made tremendous progress...(Kim) has a chance to have North Korea becoming an economic behemoth. (North Korea) has a chance to be one of the great economic countries in the world. (Kim) He can't do that with nuclear weapons," he said. Trump and Kim met in Singapore last June to discuss denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. At the time, Mr Trump claimed this meeting had ended the North Korean nuclear threat. The two leaders signed an agreement pledging to "work toward complete denuclearisation" but there was no agreed pathway and little progress has been made since then on the issue.

Trump says he 'does not necessarily agree' with intelligence agencies

A US negotiator called Thursday on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-not-looking-to-build-bomb-north-korea-will-not-give-up-nukes-us-intelligence-chiefs-193794">North Korea</a> to provide a detailed account of its weapons to seal a peace deal, saying President Donald Trump was ready to offer a future that includes diplomatic relations and economic aid.

Trump is set to hold a second summit with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-unlikely-to-give-up-all-nuclear-weapons-us-intel-chief-dan-coats-193760">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un</a> in around a month and said Thursday that he would announce the exact date and venue early next week.

"I think most of you know where the location is. I don't think it's a great secret," he told reporters at the White House.

Vietnam has offered to host the talks.

"We've made tremendous progress with North Korea," said Trump, whose June summit with Kim in Singapore was the first ever between leaders of the two countries that never formally ended the Korean War.

The meeting produced a document in which Kim pledged to work toward the "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula."&nbsp;

As skeptics voice worry that Trump is overly eager to make a legacy-building deal and enjoy the spotlight of meeting the reclusive leader again, the US special representative on North Korea, Stephen Biegun, said the administration is "clear-eyed" and prepared for contingencies if talks fail.

On Tuesday Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee that "North Korea is unlikely to give up all of its nuclear weapons and production capabilities," an analysis counter to Trump's position that there is "a decent chance" of the North giving up its nuclear weapons.

Biegun painted an upbeat picture at ending decades of hostility despite repeated failures in the past, saying that Trump "is unconstrained by the assumptions of his predecessors."

"I have this perfect outcome moment where the last nuclear weapon leaves North Korea, the sanctions are lifted, the flag goes up in the embassy and the treaty is signed in the same hour," Biegun said at Stanford University.

"Now that's an ideal, I know, and these things are going to move haltingly along different courses. But they can also be mutually reinforcing," he said.

Preparing the summit, the State Department said Biegun would head Sunday to South Korea and also meet his North Korean counterpart.

Promises on all nuclear sites

Biegun said the United States would ask North Korea for negotiations on verifying that the totalitarian state is giving up its nuclear weapons.

"Before the process of denuclearisation can be final, we must have a complete understanding of the full extent of the North Korean WMD and missile programs through a comprehensive declaration," Biegun said.

"We must reach agreement on expert access and monitoring mechanisms of key sites to international standards, and ultimately ensure the removal or destruction of stockpiles of fissile material, weapons, missiles, launchers and other weapons of mass destruction," he said.

Rejecting criticism that the Singapore declaration was vague, Biegun said that Kim has committed -- both at the summit and in follow-up talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- to "the dismantlement and destruction" of all plutonium and uranium sites, not only its signature Yongbyon facility.

North Korea watchers believe the regime is foremost interested in easing international sanctions, which were tightened in 2017 after the regime's missile and nuclear tests raised fears of a new war.

Biegun said Trump was prepared to assist Kim in building "a brighter economic future" and gave nuance to the repeated US insistence that it will not ease sanctions until denuclearisation.

"We say we will not lift sanctions until denuclearisation is complete. That is correct. We didn't say we won't do anything until you do everything," he said.

US troops to stay in South Korea

Biegun assured North Korea that Trump -- who in 2017 threatened in front of the United Nations to "totally destroy" the country -- wanted to end the state of war.

"We are not going to invade North Korea. We are not seeking to topple the regime," he said.

He also said that the United States had no intention to pull its 28,500 troops out of South Korea.

"We are not involved in any diplomatic discussion -- full stop -- that would suggest this tradeoff. It has never been discussed," Biegun said.

With Trump known both for his impulsiveness and his criticism of US defense alliances, observers have wondered whether the nearly seven-decade US troop presence could up for debate.

The United States and South Korea remain at loggerheads on a new agreement on how much Seoul contributes to maintain the troops.

A US negotiator called Thursday on North Korea to provide a detailed account of its weapons to seal a peace deal, saying President Donald Trump was ready to offer a future that includes diplomatic relations and economic aid.

A US negotiator called Thursday on North Korea to provide a detailed account of its weapons to seal a peace deal, saying President Donald Trump was ready to offer a future that includes diplomatic relations and economic aid. Trump is set to hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in around a month and said Thursday that he would announce the exact date and venue early next week. "I think most of you know where the location is. I don't think it's a great secret," he told reporters at the White House. Vietnam has offered to host the talks. "We've made tremendous progress with North Korea," said Trump, whose June summit with Kim in Singapore was the first ever between leaders of the two countries that never formally ended the Korean War. The meeting produced a document in which Kim pledged to work toward the "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula." As skeptics voice worry that Trump is overly eager to make a legacy-building deal and enjoy the spotlight of meeting the reclusive leader again, the US special representative on North Korea, Stephen Biegun, said the administration is "clear-eyed" and prepared for contingencies if talks fail. On Tuesday Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee that "North Korea is unlikely to give up all of its nuclear weapons and production capabilities," an analysis counter to Trump's position that there is "a decent chance" of the North giving up its nuclear weapons. Biegun painted an upbeat picture at ending decades of hostility despite repeated failures in the past, saying that Trump "is unconstrained by the assumptions of his predecessors." "I have this perfect outcome moment where the last nuclear weapon leaves North Korea, the sanctions are lifted, the flag goes up in the embassy and the treaty is signed in the same hour," Biegun said at Stanford University. "Now that's an ideal, I know, and these things are going to move haltingly along different courses. But they can also be mutually reinforcing," he said. Preparing the summit, the State Department said Biegun would head Sunday to South Korea and also meet his North Korean counterpart. Promises on all nuclear sites Biegun said the United States would ask North Korea for negotiations on verifying that the totalitarian state is giving up its nuclear weapons. "Before the process of denuclearisation can be final, we must have a complete understanding of the full extent of the North Korean WMD and missile programs through a comprehensive declaration," Biegun said. "We must reach agreement on expert access and monitoring mechanisms of key sites to international standards, and ultimately ensure the removal or destruction of stockpiles of fissile material, weapons, missiles, launchers and other weapons of mass destruction," he said. Rejecting criticism that the Singapore declaration was vague, Biegun said that Kim has committed -- both at the summit and in follow-up talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- to "the dismantlement and destruction" of all plutonium and uranium sites, not only its signature Yongbyon facility. North Korea watchers believe the regime is foremost interested in easing international sanctions, which were tightened in 2017 after the regime's missile and nuclear tests raised fears of a new war. Biegun said Trump was prepared to assist Kim in building "a brighter economic future" and gave nuance to the repeated US insistence that it will not ease sanctions until denuclearisation. "We say we will not lift sanctions until denuclearisation is complete. That is correct. We didn't say we won't do anything until you do everything," he said. US troops to stay in South Korea Biegun assured North Korea that Trump -- who in 2017 threatened in front of the United Nations to "totally destroy" the country -- wanted to end the state of war. "We are not going to invade North Korea. We are not seeking to topple the regime," he said. He also said that the United States had no intention to pull its 28,500 troops out of South Korea. "We are not involved in any diplomatic discussion -- full stop -- that would suggest this tradeoff. It has never been discussed," Biegun said. With Trump known both for his impulsiveness and his criticism of US defense alliances, observers have wondered whether the nearly seven-decade US troop presence could up for debate. The United States and South Korea remain at loggerheads on a new agreement on how much Seoul contributes to maintain the troops.

US calls on North Korea to provide full list of weapons programs to seal peace deal

&nbsp;North Korea's state media KCNA reported <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-ends-beijing-visit-as-trump-summit-looms-189192">today that Kim Jong-un's visit to China</a> led to in-depth discussions with President Xi on how to "jointly study and steer" the situation on the Korean peninsula and denuclearisation talks.

Kim reportedly told Xi that there<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-discusses-expected-summit-with-trump-in-talks-in-china-report-189075"> is no change in North Korea's stand </a>towards the agreement reached with President Trump in the Singapore summit in June last year.

Meanwhile, China's state media Xinhua news agency said Xi told Kim that "political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue faces a rare historic opportunity."&nbsp;

"China supports the DPRK and the United States holding summits and achieving results, and supports relevant parties resolving their respective legitimate concerns through dialogue", Xi told Kim according to the Chinese state media.

Kim had visited China on Monday travelling in a private train to meet Xi who he had met three times last year even as he held summit meeting with US President Trump and &nbsp;South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Kim was accompanied by his wife Ri Sol Ju, and senior North Korean officials.

"China hopes that the DPRK and the United States will meet each other halfway," Xi reportedly told Kim during the meeting, adding that &nbsp;China stands ready to play a "positive and constructive role to maintain peace and stability and achieve denuclearisation on the peninsula."

Kim said he will "make efforts for the second summit between DPRK and US leaders to achieve results that will be welcomed by the international community". Kim's meeting with Xi comes ahead of the expected second summit with President Trump due to take place this year.

Xinhua news agency said both leaders had a "cordial and friendly" meeting and pledged to make joint efforts to promote development.

North Korea's state media KCNA reported today that Kim Jong-un's visit to China led to in-depth discussions with President Xi on how to "jointly study and steer" the situation on the Korean peninsula and denuclearisation talks.

North Korea's state media KCNA reported today that Kim Jong-un's visit to China led to in-depth discussions with President Xi on how to "jointly study and steer" the situation on the Korean peninsula and denuclearisation talks. Kim reportedly told Xi that there is no change in North Korea's stand towards the agreement reached with President Trump in the Singapore summit in June last year. Meanwhile, China's state media Xinhua news agency said Xi told Kim that "political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue faces a rare historic opportunity." "China supports the DPRK and the United States holding summits and achieving results, and supports relevant parties resolving their respective legitimate concerns through dialogue", Xi told Kim according to the Chinese state media. Kim had visited China on Monday travelling in a private train to meet Xi who he had met three times last year even as he held summit meeting with US President Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Kim was accompanied by his wife Ri Sol Ju, and senior North Korean officials. "China hopes that the DPRK and the United States will meet each other halfway," Xi reportedly told Kim during the meeting, adding that China stands ready to play a "positive and constructive role to maintain peace and stability and achieve denuclearisation on the peninsula." Kim said he will "make efforts for the second summit between DPRK and US leaders to achieve results that will be welcomed by the international community". Kim's meeting with Xi comes ahead of the expected second summit with President Trump due to take place this year. Xinhua news agency said both leaders had a "cordial and friendly" meeting and pledged to make joint efforts to promote development.

China hopes North Korea and US meet each other halfway: President Xi to Kim

North Korea has expanded a key long-range missile base in the months since a summit between the country's leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, according to satellite images published by CNN on Wednesday.

The two men met in Singapore in June and signed a vaguely worded document that pledged to "work toward" the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, though it did not detail specifics on how this would come about.

According to CNN, Pyongyang has upgraded the Yeongjeo-dong missile base in North Korea's mountainous interior and has built up another facility that had not previously been publicly identified.&nbsp;

Experts told the US news network that the site's location made it suitable to host North Korea's newest long-range missiles, including ones that could carry nuclear warheads.

In a statement the Pentagon said: "We watch North Korea very closely but we cannot discuss intelligence."

Trump said on Saturday that he hoped to organize a second summit with Kim in early 2019.

National Security Advisor John Bolton said Tuesday that Trump thinks the North Korean strongman hasn't met the commitments he made at the Singapore summit.

US officials insist on the complete, verified and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula before tough sanctions are lifted.

But the North has rejected demands for what it calls "unilateral" disarmament, and has instead sought unspecified reciprocal US measures in a gradual process.

North Korea has expanded a key long-range missile base in the months since a summit between the country's leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, according to satellite images published by CNN on Wednesday.

North Korea has expanded a key long-range missile base in the months since a summit between the country's leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, according to satellite images published by CNN on Wednesday. The two men met in Singapore in June and signed a vaguely worded document that pledged to "work toward" the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, though it did not detail specifics on how this would come about. According to CNN, Pyongyang has upgraded the Yeongjeo-dong missile base in North Korea's mountainous interior and has built up another facility that had not previously been publicly identified. Experts told the US news network that the site's location made it suitable to host North Korea's newest long-range missiles, including ones that could carry nuclear warheads. In a statement the Pentagon said: "We watch North Korea very closely but we cannot discuss intelligence." Trump said on Saturday that he hoped to organize a second summit with Kim in early 2019. National Security Advisor John Bolton said Tuesday that Trump thinks the North Korean strongman hasn't met the commitments he made at the Singapore summit. US officials insist on the complete, verified and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula before tough sanctions are lifted. But the North has rejected demands for what it calls "unilateral" disarmament, and has instead sought unspecified reciprocal US measures in a gradual process.

Satellite images show activity at North Korean missile base: Report

By Randy Kluver, Robert Hinck and Skye Cooley

When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June pledged to work toward “complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” by 2020, the White House hailed the agreement as “a tremendous moment for the world.”

The agreement came after a year of tense negotiations between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump – an undiplomatic diplomatic process that included insults, threats, name-calling and cancelled diplomatic visits.

“I was really being tough. And so was he,” Trump later said. “And we’d go back and forth. And then we fell in love. OK?”

With all the bilateral drama, it’s easy to forget that this nuclear showdown does not involve just the US and North Korea.

The China-Korea connection

The Korean peninsula has been in a protracted conflict since 1950, when Communist North Korean troops invaded South Korea.

North Korea has been considered a dangerous nuclear power since withdrawing from the international nonproliferation treaty on nuclear weapons in 1985, with neighbouring Japan and South Korea most at risk of nuclear attack.

Both are strong US allies who essentially support Trump’s negotiations with Kim’s regime.

Less certain is the position of China, North Korea’s Communist northern neighbour.

China accounts for 90 percent of North Korea’s foreign trade and is perhaps the only true “friend” North Korea has.

It is also an economic behemoth with its own ambitions of global dominance.

In recent years China has flexed its foreign policy muscles, paying for major infrastructure development in Africa, Pakistan and the Caribbean. Its diplomacy budget has almost doubled since Xi took office in 2013.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang has assured the United States that China supports “the US and [orth Korea&nbsp;in actively seeking a political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue” and is “committed to achieving denuclearisation.”

Korea experts have their doubts.

Many believe China fears that a successful Trump negotiation could lead the US to replace China as North Korea’s top ally. Its government “does not want a reunified Korea, indebted to Washington, sitting just across its border,” Richard McGregor, senior fellow at Australia’s Lowy Institute, told CNN in May.

So where does China’s government really stand on the US-led denuclearisation of North Korea?

China defends North Korea 
 
To answer this question, we analyzed one year of Chinese news coverage and commentary on North Korean denuclearatisation.

Because journalism in China is heavily state-controlled, media analysis can shed light on government positions that may not be public as official policy.

Our project examining China’s view of the US-North Korea negotiations is part of ongoing research into the domestic media coverage of global affairs in Russia and China, two countries that contest America’s dominance in the current world order.

We read China’s position on the Trump-Kim process as delicately balanced between defending its Korean ally while signaling its respect for the international community.

Chinese media makes sure to report North Korea’s side of the argument, tacitly supporting Kim Jong Un’s need for security while questioning American intentions in the Asian region.

For instance, Xinhua reported in Oct. 2017 that “Kim justified the development of nuclear and missile programs by [North Korea] as the only way of defence against ‘protracted nuclear threats’ by the United States.”

As an op-ed from the English-language Chinese daily Global Times further argues that the United States uses North Korea “as a pretext to justify its military presence in Northeast Asia.”

When Chinese media does denounce aggressive North Korean military actions, such as intercontinental missile tests, the articles usually go on to portray the United States’ anti-ballistic missile systems and joint military exercises with Japan and South Korea as far more destabilising for the Asia region.

China opposes “any strategic military deployment by the US that will cause threats to China’s security under the excuse of dealing with the peninsula situation,” declared China’s Global Times in 2016.

Towing the line 
 
Still, China is careful to uphold international standards when it comes to North Korea.

It advocates for a cooperative and dialogue-based peace process and has endorsed and implemented all United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea.

After North Korea’s nuclear tests in fall 2017, for example, the UN&nbsp;unanimously adopted severe economic sanctions that further isolated the regime. China criticised US rhetoric about Kim’s regime as overheated but ultimately signed off on the sanctions.

In Chinese media, such actions – defending North Korean sovereignty while supporting the international community – confirm China’s role as a fair arbiter. China sees itself as perhaps the only nation appropriately balancing North Korea’s economic needs with the world’s security concerns.

For Chinese media, this confirms China’s importance in global diplomacy. When President Trump said that “China has aided efforts with North Korea,” his comment was widely quoted.

Will China help denuclearise North Korea?

Ultimately, our analysis finds that China’s global aspirations have not yet led President Xi to openly dispute American leadership in resolving world conflicts.

China is likely to play a supporting role in the gradual denuclearisation of North Korea, even as it seeks to shape that process to ensure that Chinese influence and prestige in the region is upheld.

Chinese media has even praised President Trump’s June 6 summit with Kim, saying it warmed relations between the nations and laid a foundation for further progress toward peace.

The Chinese government may well work “on both sides towards this goal,” as Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said in a December 2017 press conference.

But in the end, we believe Xi is more of a US partner than foe when it comes to Korea.

(Randy Kluver is Dean, Oklahoma State University; &nbsp;Robert Hinck is Assistant Professor, Monmouth College; &nbsp;Skye Cooley 
Assistant Professor of Communication, Oklahoma State University)

By Randy Kluver, Robert Hinck and Skye Cooley When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June pledged to work toward “complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” by 2020, the White House hailed the agreement as “a tremendous moment for the world.

By Randy Kluver, Robert Hinck and Skye Cooley When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June pledged to work toward “complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” by 2020, the White House hailed the agreement as “a tremendous moment for the world.” The agreement came after a year of tense negotiations between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump – an undiplomatic diplomatic process that included insults, threats, name-calling and cancelled diplomatic visits. “I was really being tough. And so was he,” Trump later said. “And we’d go back and forth. And then we fell in love. OK?” With all the bilateral drama, it’s easy to forget that this nuclear showdown does not involve just the US and North Korea. The China-Korea connection The Korean peninsula has been in a protracted conflict since 1950, when Communist North Korean troops invaded South Korea. North Korea has been considered a dangerous nuclear power since withdrawing from the international nonproliferation treaty on nuclear weapons in 1985, with neighbouring Japan and South Korea most at risk of nuclear attack. Both are strong US allies who essentially support Trump’s negotiations with Kim’s regime. Less certain is the position of China, North Korea’s Communist northern neighbour. China accounts for 90 percent of North Korea’s foreign trade and is perhaps the only true “friend” North Korea has. It is also an economic behemoth with its own ambitions of global dominance. In recent years China has flexed its foreign policy muscles, paying for major infrastructure development in Africa, Pakistan and the Caribbean. Its diplomacy budget has almost doubled since Xi took office in 2013. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang has assured the United States that China supports “the US and [orth Korea in actively seeking a political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue” and is “committed to achieving denuclearisation.” Korea experts have their doubts. Many believe China fears that a successful Trump negotiation could lead the US to replace China as North Korea’s top ally. Its government “does not want a reunified Korea, indebted to Washington, sitting just across its border,” Richard McGregor, senior fellow at Australia’s Lowy Institute, told CNN in May. So where does China’s government really stand on the US-led denuclearisation of North Korea? China defends North Korea To answer this question, we analyzed one year of Chinese news coverage and commentary on North Korean denuclearatisation. Because journalism in China is heavily state-controlled, media analysis can shed light on government positions that may not be public as official policy. Our project examining China’s view of the US-North Korea negotiations is part of ongoing research into the domestic media coverage of global affairs in Russia and China, two countries that contest America’s dominance in the current world order. We read China’s position on the Trump-Kim process as delicately balanced between defending its Korean ally while signaling its respect for the international community. Chinese media makes sure to report North Korea’s side of the argument, tacitly supporting Kim Jong Un’s need for security while questioning American intentions in the Asian region. For instance, Xinhua reported in Oct. 2017 that “Kim justified the development of nuclear and missile programs by [North Korea] as the only way of defence against ‘protracted nuclear threats’ by the United States.” As an op-ed from the English-language Chinese daily Global Times further argues that the United States uses North Korea “as a pretext to justify its military presence in Northeast Asia.” When Chinese media does denounce aggressive North Korean military actions, such as intercontinental missile tests, the articles usually go on to portray the United States’ anti-ballistic missile systems and joint military exercises with Japan and South Korea as far more destabilising for the Asia region. China opposes “any strategic military deployment by the US that will cause threats to China’s security under the excuse of dealing with the peninsula situation,” declared China’s Global Times in 2016. Towing the line Still, China is careful to uphold international standards when it comes to North Korea. It advocates for a cooperative and dialogue-based peace process and has endorsed and implemented all United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea. After North Korea’s nuclear tests in fall 2017, for example, the UN unanimously adopted severe economic sanctions that further isolated the regime. China criticised US rhetoric about Kim’s regime as overheated but ultimately signed off on the sanctions. In Chinese media, such actions – defending North Korean sovereignty while supporting the international community – confirm China’s role as a fair arbiter. China sees itself as perhaps the only nation appropriately balancing North Korea’s economic needs with the world’s security concerns. For Chinese media, this confirms China’s importance in global diplomacy. When President Trump said that “China has aided efforts with North Korea,” his comment was widely quoted. Will China help denuclearise North Korea? Ultimately, our analysis finds that China’s global aspirations have not yet led President Xi to openly dispute American leadership in resolving world conflicts. China is likely to play a supporting role in the gradual denuclearisation of North Korea, even as it seeks to shape that process to ensure that Chinese influence and prestige in the region is upheld. Chinese media has even praised President Trump’s June 6 summit with Kim, saying it warmed relations between the nations and laid a foundation for further progress toward peace. The Chinese government may well work “on both sides towards this goal,” as Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said in a December 2017 press conference. But in the end, we believe Xi is more of a US partner than foe when it comes to Korea. (Randy Kluver is Dean, Oklahoma State University; Robert Hinck is Assistant Professor, Monmouth College; Skye Cooley Assistant Professor of Communication, Oklahoma State University)

Will China help Trump denuclearise North Korea?

President Donald Trump said Monday he expects a second summit with Kim Jong Un to take place "quite soon" as he returned to the United Nations to trumpet a turnaround in ties with the North Korean leader.

Trump used his debut address to the UN General Assembly last year to threaten to "totally destroy" North Korea and belittled Kim as "rocket man", prompting Kim to respond by calling the US president "mentally deranged".

But speaking as he arrived at UN headquarters in New York for this year's gathering, Trump hailed "tremendous progress" to halt Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests and said that a year later it was a "much different time."

"It looks like we'll have a second summit quite soon," he told reporters.

"As you know Kim Jong Un wrote a letter -- a beautiful letter -- asking for a second meeting and we will be doing that," added Trump who met with Kim in Singapore in June.

While relations with Kim have improved dramatically, leaders attending the annual assembly will hear how another of Trump's adversaries, Iran's Hassan Rouhani, remains beyond the pale for the American president.

In addition to his address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump has a series of bilateral meetings with allies such as French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain's Theresa May and Japan's Shinzo Abe, whom he met with late Sunday.

One of the most closely-watched will be Monday's meeting with South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in, who will brief him on last week's inter-Korean summit with Kim in Pyongyang.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who has visited Pyongyang three times -- will preside over a Security Council meeting Thursday where he will brief members on how the administration can persuade the North to turn its back on nuclear weapons.

He will also defend the Trump administration's use of sanctions to force change, which has seen Chinese and Russian companies punished for doing business in North Korea.

Skepticism remains about whether Kim has taken any concrete steps, but that seems unlikely to deter Trump from pushing toward a follow-up to the Singapore summit in June.

Big drug problem

Kicking off his meetings, Trump addressed "the world drug problem and a big problem it is" at an event that saw 130 countries pledge to step up action to fight the illegal drug trade and combat addiction.

In his 41-minute speech at the General Assembly in 2017, the US president made clear he wanted to turn the clock back on the last half-century's growth of global rules and institutions to return to the primacy of the nation-state.

The UN's number one financial backer, the United States has moved under Trump to cut funding to the world body, notably to peacekeeping missions that are key to the UN's goal of promoting peace and security.

"The United Nations has tremendous potential and that potential is being met, slowly but surely," Trump told the meeting attended by UN chief Antonio Guterres.

While Trump will dial down the rhetoric against Kim, there seems to be little prospect of him doing likewise with Rouhani.

The US annoyed many of its allies in Europe by pulling out of a deal they jointly negotiated in 2015 that lifted sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.

US allies in the Middle East, notably Saudi Arabia, have, however, been delighted by Trump's stance.

On Wednesday, Trump will for the first time chair a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation that will focus heavily on Iran, likely triggering a clash with other big powers.

The White House has not completely closed the door on a Rouhani-Trump meeting, but in a weekend op-ed in The Washington Post, Rouhani charged that Trump's offer of talks was not "genuine" and came with a list of "openly insulting preconditions."

President Donald Trump said Monday he expects a second summit with Kim Jong Un to take place "quite soon" as he returned to the United Nations to trumpet a turnaround in ties with the North Korean leader.

President Donald Trump said Monday he expects a second summit with Kim Jong Un to take place "quite soon" as he returned to the United Nations to trumpet a turnaround in ties with the North Korean leader. Trump used his debut address to the UN General Assembly last year to threaten to "totally destroy" North Korea and belittled Kim as "rocket man", prompting Kim to respond by calling the US president "mentally deranged". But speaking as he arrived at UN headquarters in New York for this year's gathering, Trump hailed "tremendous progress" to halt Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests and said that a year later it was a "much different time." "It looks like we'll have a second summit quite soon," he told reporters. "As you know Kim Jong Un wrote a letter -- a beautiful letter -- asking for a second meeting and we will be doing that," added Trump who met with Kim in Singapore in June. While relations with Kim have improved dramatically, leaders attending the annual assembly will hear how another of Trump's adversaries, Iran's Hassan Rouhani, remains beyond the pale for the American president. In addition to his address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump has a series of bilateral meetings with allies such as French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain's Theresa May and Japan's Shinzo Abe, whom he met with late Sunday. One of the most closely-watched will be Monday's meeting with South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in, who will brief him on last week's inter-Korean summit with Kim in Pyongyang. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who has visited Pyongyang three times -- will preside over a Security Council meeting Thursday where he will brief members on how the administration can persuade the North to turn its back on nuclear weapons. He will also defend the Trump administration's use of sanctions to force change, which has seen Chinese and Russian companies punished for doing business in North Korea. Skepticism remains about whether Kim has taken any concrete steps, but that seems unlikely to deter Trump from pushing toward a follow-up to the Singapore summit in June. Big drug problem Kicking off his meetings, Trump addressed "the world drug problem and a big problem it is" at an event that saw 130 countries pledge to step up action to fight the illegal drug trade and combat addiction. In his 41-minute speech at the General Assembly in 2017, the US president made clear he wanted to turn the clock back on the last half-century's growth of global rules and institutions to return to the primacy of the nation-state. The UN's number one financial backer, the United States has moved under Trump to cut funding to the world body, notably to peacekeeping missions that are key to the UN's goal of promoting peace and security. "The United Nations has tremendous potential and that potential is being met, slowly but surely," Trump told the meeting attended by UN chief Antonio Guterres. While Trump will dial down the rhetoric against Kim, there seems to be little prospect of him doing likewise with Rouhani. The US annoyed many of its allies in Europe by pulling out of a deal they jointly negotiated in 2015 that lifted sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program. US allies in the Middle East, notably Saudi Arabia, have, however, been delighted by Trump's stance. On Wednesday, Trump will for the first time chair a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation that will focus heavily on Iran, likely triggering a clash with other big powers. The White House has not completely closed the door on a Rouhani-Trump meeting, but in a weekend op-ed in The Washington Post, Rouhani charged that Trump's offer of talks was not "genuine" and came with a list of "openly insulting preconditions."

Back at UN, Trump eyes new North Korea summit 'quite soon'

North Korea and Iran will dominate this week's gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, where President Donald Trump will be firmly in the spotlight as he continues to upend global diplomacy.

After warming up to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and ditching the Iran nuclear deal, the unpredictable Trump takes the podium on Tuesday to face foes and increasingly uneasy allies at the UN General Assembly.

On Wednesday, he will for the first time chair a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation and weapons of mass destruction that will focus heavily on Iran -- likely triggering a clash with other big powers.

"It will be the most watched Security Council meeting ever," US Ambassador Nikki Haley said of Trump's first time wielding the gavel.

The diplomatic gathering will take stock of the thaw in relations between North and South Korea, and ground-breaking US-North Korea moves to address the threat from Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Last year, world leaders shuddered as Trump threatened to totally destroy North Korea and belittled Kim as "Rocket Man on a suicide mission."

An exchange of insults ensued, with Kim calling out the "mentally deranged US dotard."

U-turn on North Korea

Trump's address to the assembly will be the "polar opposite of what we heard last year," said Suzanne DiMaggio, an expert on North Korea and Iran at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The president will tout his face-to-face with Kim as a major diplomatic win but "he should think twice if he plans to repeat his claim that North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat," she said.

Despite the Trump-Kim landmark summit in Singapore in June, there has been little concrete progress on denuclearization.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong ho has been invited by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for talks on the sidelines of the assembly meeting. Ri is scheduled to deliver his address on September 29.&nbsp;

During key meetings, South Korean President Moon Jae-in will encourage Trump to press on with the rapprochement, but the US president is likely to get a different message from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has taken a tough stance on maintaining sanctions pressure on Pyongyang.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will address the fall-out from the US decision to abandon the nuclear deal when he takes the podium shortly after Trump on Tuesday.

European countries along with Russia and China are still working to salvage the accord and will use the council meeting chaired by Trump to defend what they consider as a milestone in non-proliferation.

"The members of the Security Council are not going to take kindly to being lectured by President Trump on the subject of Iran," said DiMaggio.

"These very countries, which include our closest allies, are now facing US sanctions as they scramble to save the agreement."

- UN under fire - 
The UN rendezvous takes place amid a sharp divide between the United States, accused of turning its back on multilateralism, and countries that view the global rules-based order as their best hope to tackle the world's problems. &nbsp;

Struggling with tighter budgets from US cuts, the United Nations has been put on the defensive as its peace efforts in Syria, Libya and Yemen fall short.

"Multilateralism is under attack from many different directions precisely when we need it most," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last week.

About 130 heads of state and government are turning up for the six-day marathon of speeches and meetings on tackling a long list of issues from climate change to poverty.

Russia and China will be represented by their foreign ministers.

Among those making their debut on the world stage will be Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has signed a historic peace deal with Eritrea, Zimbabwe's Emmerson Mnangagwa and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

North Korea and Iran will dominate this week's gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, where President Donald Trump will be firmly in the spotlight as he continues to upend global diplomacy.

North Korea and Iran will dominate this week's gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, where President Donald Trump will be firmly in the spotlight as he continues to upend global diplomacy. After warming up to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and ditching the Iran nuclear deal, the unpredictable Trump takes the podium on Tuesday to face foes and increasingly uneasy allies at the UN General Assembly. On Wednesday, he will for the first time chair a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation and weapons of mass destruction that will focus heavily on Iran -- likely triggering a clash with other big powers. "It will be the most watched Security Council meeting ever," US Ambassador Nikki Haley said of Trump's first time wielding the gavel. The diplomatic gathering will take stock of the thaw in relations between North and South Korea, and ground-breaking US-North Korea moves to address the threat from Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Last year, world leaders shuddered as Trump threatened to totally destroy North Korea and belittled Kim as "Rocket Man on a suicide mission." An exchange of insults ensued, with Kim calling out the "mentally deranged US dotard." U-turn on North Korea Trump's address to the assembly will be the "polar opposite of what we heard last year," said Suzanne DiMaggio, an expert on North Korea and Iran at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The president will tout his face-to-face with Kim as a major diplomatic win but "he should think twice if he plans to repeat his claim that North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat," she said. Despite the Trump-Kim landmark summit in Singapore in June, there has been little concrete progress on denuclearization. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong ho has been invited by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for talks on the sidelines of the assembly meeting. Ri is scheduled to deliver his address on September 29. During key meetings, South Korean President Moon Jae-in will encourage Trump to press on with the rapprochement, but the US president is likely to get a different message from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has taken a tough stance on maintaining sanctions pressure on Pyongyang. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will address the fall-out from the US decision to abandon the nuclear deal when he takes the podium shortly after Trump on Tuesday. European countries along with Russia and China are still working to salvage the accord and will use the council meeting chaired by Trump to defend what they consider as a milestone in non-proliferation. "The members of the Security Council are not going to take kindly to being lectured by President Trump on the subject of Iran," said DiMaggio. "These very countries, which include our closest allies, are now facing US sanctions as they scramble to save the agreement." - UN under fire - The UN rendezvous takes place amid a sharp divide between the United States, accused of turning its back on multilateralism, and countries that view the global rules-based order as their best hope to tackle the world's problems. Struggling with tighter budgets from US cuts, the United Nations has been put on the defensive as its peace efforts in Syria, Libya and Yemen fall short. "Multilateralism is under attack from many different directions precisely when we need it most," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last week. About 130 heads of state and government are turning up for the six-day marathon of speeches and meetings on tackling a long list of issues from climate change to poverty. Russia and China will be represented by their foreign ministers. Among those making their debut on the world stage will be Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has signed a historic peace deal with Eritrea, Zimbabwe's Emmerson Mnangagwa and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

World leaders at UN look for progress on North Korea, brace for Trump

President Trump said today that<a href="http://wionews.com/world/now-china-backs-trumps-decision-to-stop-war-games-on-korean-peninsula-144113"> North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat</a> as he arrived at US Air Force base in Maryland after successfully concluded his meeting with Kim Jong-un on Tuesday.

"Before taking office people were assuming that we were going to war with North Korea," he said on Twitter as Air Force One touched down in the US, adding,"President Obama said that North Korea was our biggest and most dangerous problem, no longer - sleep well tonight!"

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Before taking office people were assuming that we were going to War with North Korea. President Obama said that North Korea was our biggest and most dangerous problem. No longer - sleep well tonight!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1006839007492308992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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President Trump and <a href="http://wionews.com/world/we-got-along-from-the-beginning-trump-says-of-kim-commentators-say-us-prez-got-outfoxed-144089">North Korean leader Kim Jong-un</a> had met at the Capella hotel in Singapore for a&nbsp;face-to-face summit to resolve differences as Kim pledged to "denuclearise" the Korean Peninsula and bring hostilities with its neighbour South Korea to an end.

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Just landed - a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1006837823469735936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience," an elated President said.&nbsp;

"North Korea has great potential for the future," he added in his tweet.

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We save a fortune by not doing war games, as long as we are negotiating in good faith - which both sides are!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1006856219200548864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Earlier the President had said the world had taken a "step back" from potential nuclear catastrophe, asserting that there wouldn't be anymore "rocket launches, nuclear testing or research" referring to North Korea's peace moves during the Singapore summit.

"I want to thank chairman Kim for taking the first bold step toward a bright new future for his people," the US president said in his tweet, while saying that it was an "unprecedented meeting" "the first between an American President and a leader of North Korea – proves that real change is possible!

"There is no limit to what North Korea can achieve," he noted. &nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eBuDbLQFVSc" width="560"></iframe>

Earlier the President had said the world had taken a "step back" from potential nuclear catastrophe

President Trump said today that North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat as he arrived at US Air Force base in Maryland after successfully concluded his meeting with Kim Jong-un on Tuesday. "Before taking office people were assuming that we were going to war with North Korea," he said on Twitter as Air Force One touched down in the US, adding,"President Obama said that North Korea was our biggest and most dangerous problem, no longer - sleep well tonight!" Before taking office people were assuming that we were going to War with North Korea. President Obama said that North Korea was our biggest and most dangerous problem. No longer - sleep well tonight! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2018 × President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had met at the Capella hotel in Singapore for a face-to-face summit to resolve differences as Kim pledged to "denuclearise" the Korean Peninsula and bring hostilities with its neighbour South Korea to an end. Just landed - a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2018 × "There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience," an elated President said. "North Korea has great potential for the future," he added in his tweet. We save a fortune by not doing war games, as long as we are negotiating in good faith - which both sides are! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2018 × Earlier the President had said the world had taken a "step back" from potential nuclear catastrophe, asserting that there wouldn't be anymore "rocket launches, nuclear testing or research" referring to North Korea's peace moves during the Singapore summit. "I want to thank chairman Kim for taking the first bold step toward a bright new future for his people," the US president said in his tweet, while saying that it was an "unprecedented meeting" "the first between an American President and a leader of North Korea – proves that real change is possible! "There is no limit to what North Korea can achieve," he noted.

'North Korea no longer a nuclear threat,' says Trump

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