President Donald J. Trump says the U.S. and China agree that North Korea cannot just freeze its nuclear weapons program in exchange for concessions and that it must eliminate its arsenal.
Trump is restating a long-standing U.S. position while suggesting that China now concurs with Washington that a “freeze-for-freeze” agreement is unacceptable.
China and Russia have proposed that as a way to restart long-stalled negotiations, suggesting the North could freeze its nuclear and missile programs in exchange for the U.S. and South Korea stopping regular military drills.
China has not made a public disavowal of the proposal. China said Wednesday it would send a high-level special envoy to North Korea amid an extended chill in relations between the neighbors.