The US has reaffirmed its commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and reducing the threat posed by North Korea, and urged China to pressure Pyongyang in “clear self-interest” and using their “unique relationship”,

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that Washington has reaffirmed its commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and reducing the threat posed by North Korea, and urged China to pressure Pyongyang in “clear self-interest” and using their “unique relationship”.

Blinken, accompanied by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, met with their South Korean colleagues, Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Defense Minister Suh Wook, to discuss cooperation on North Korean policies and reinvigorate the alliance.

The denuclearization of the peninsula has been called the number one priority of the Seoul-Washington alliance. The sides agreed to continue working closely on a North Korean policy review, set to be finished in the next few weeks.

“We are committed to the denuclearization of North Korea, reducing the broader threat the DPRK [North Korea] poses to the United States, and our allies and improving the lives of all Koreans, including the people of North Korea, who continue to suffer widespread and systematic abuses within the hands of the repressive government”, Blinken said.

He noted that despite what Washington sees as Beijing’s “consistent failure to uphold its commitments”, China still plays a crucial role in resolving the nuclear issue due to its “unique” relationship with Pyongyang.

“Beijing has an interest, a clear self-interest in helping to pursue the denuclearization of DPRK. Because it is a source of instability, it’s a source of danger and obviously a threat to us and our partners, but China has a real interest in helping to deal with this”, Blinken stressed.

Source: Sputnik