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| A Chinese and U.S. flag flutters near The Bund, before U.S. trade representatives meet with their Chinese counterparts for talks in Shanghai, China, July 30, 2019. (File photo by= Reuters) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] A US State Department official revealed on Friday that the country will need to work with China in its efforts to denuclearize North Korea. The official also noted Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman may visit China during her upcoming trip to Asia which is currently scheduled to take her only to Japan, South Korea, and Mongolia, according to a report by Reuters.
"The DPRK is one area where we may work with (China) because you can't do a solution (without them)," the department official was quoted as telling Reuters, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The official added there’s "no doubt that any way forward" with North Korea would require the help of China, according to the report. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also noted Sherman may add a visit to China to her itinerary for her upcoming trip.
China is North Korea's closest ally, and its largest trade partner, accounting for some 90 percent of North Korean imports and exports, which many believe gives Beijing more leverage with Pyongyang than any others, including South Korea. Meanwhile, the State Department's principal deputy spokesperson, Jalina Porter, said she had no updates on the U.S. outreach to the North when asked at a press briefing on the day.
