- Title: China envoy says 'complex' reasons why he has not been to North Korea
- Date: 26th January 2018
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JANUARY 26, 2018) (REUTERS) CHINA'S SPECIAL ENVOY FOR NORTH KOREA KONG XUANYOU (R) AND STATE COUNCIL INFORMATION OFFICE SPOKESMAN, HU KAIHONG (L), SITTING DOWN FOR NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINA'S SPECIAL ENVOY FOR NORTH KOREA KONG XUANYOU SAYING: "The reason I've not been to North Korea since being appointed the Chinese government's special envoy for Korean peninsula matters is very complex. But whether or not I go to North Korea, our firm stance on being dedicated to maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula and the denuclearisation process has not changed. Our proactive diplomatic mediation work has also not changed or stopped for a moment." MEDIA SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINA'S SPECIAL ENVOY FOR NORTH KOREA KONG XUANYOU SAYING: "Even though the current contacts and dialogue between North and South Korea have mainly revolved around cooperation on the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, we believe this backdrop is conducive to pushing the Korean peninsula a further step toward alleviation. China welcomes contacts and dialogue between North and South Korea." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 9th February 2018 05:28
- Keywords: China North Korea missiles denuclearisation South Korea stability Korean peninsula envoy
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0017ZQZRK5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:China's special envoy for North Korea said on Friday (January 26) there were "complex" reasons why he has yet to visit the country, but that China's efforts to help bring about the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and foster peace were relentless and unchanged.
Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou, who is ethnically Korean, became Beijing's special envoy to North Korea last August.
His predecessor, Wu Dawei, made his last publicly announced visit to North Korea in early 2016, urging restraint after North Korea announced a plan to put a satellite into orbit with a long-range rocket.
North Korea has shown less and less interest in dealing with China diplomatically over its weapons programme or listening to Beijing's pleas. China is North Korea's closest ally, but it has signed up for increasingly tough U.N. sanctions on the isolated nation. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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