China welcomes N Korea's decision to discontinue nuclear, missile tests

Beijing: China today welcomed its close ally North Korea's decision to discontinue nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches, saying it could ease tensions in the Korean peninsula.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un announced the decision at a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) yesterday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The announcement came ahead of the North Korean leader's planned summit meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement that it would help ease the situation and promote the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula as well as a political settlement of the peninsula issue.

A nuclear-free peninsula and lasting peace in the region are in line with the common interests of the people on the peninsula and in the region, he said, adding that these are also the common expectation of the international community.

"We hope that the DPRK will continue to achieve results in its economic development and improvement of people's living standards," Lu said.

China supports the DPRK and the parties concerned to resolve their respective concerns through dialogue and consultation, so as to improve their relations, he said.

It is hoped that all parties concerned will meet each other halfway, take concrete actions and make due efforts to achieve lasting peace and common development in the region, Lu said.

"China will continue to play an active role in this regard," Lu said.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea's official name) will discontinue nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic rocket test-fire from April 21, the North Korean news agency said.

The northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK will be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of nuclear tests, it said.

The news agency quoted Kim as saying that the mission to build a nuclear force has been completed and now the strategic route for the WPK is to concentrate on economic construction.