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President Xi calls up Trump to talk on North Korea

WION Web Team
Beijing, ChinaUpdated: Jan 16, 2018, 08:32 AM IST
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The talks will focus on security, but trade is at the heart of tensions. Photograph:(Reuters)

China's president Xi Jinping called US president Trump today as the two leaders spoke on the North Korean crisis.

China's state media said President Xi Jinping told Trump that easing of tensions on the Korean peninsula must continue.

During the phone call, pointed out that the situation on the Korean peninsula has shown some "positive changes", Xinhua news service reported.

North and South Korean officials have been meeting for th past two weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed the hope to send a delegation for the Winter Olympics to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea next month.

"All sides concerned should make joint efforts to keep up the hard-won momentum for the easing of the situation on the Korean peninsula and create conditions to restart talks," Xi told Trump during the brief phone call.

Xi also urged Trump to take a "hardline" on trade imbalance between the two countries and to adopt "constructive means" to properly settle economic and trade issue.