Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (left) attends a news conference with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday in Palm Beach, Florida, US. [Photo/Agencies] US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he hoped his May or early June summit with Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, would lead to lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. I hope to have a very successful meeting (with Kim), Trump said at his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida during a joint news conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. We hope to see the day when the whole Korean Peninsula can live together in safety, prosperity and peace. China's Foreign Ministry said Beijing welcomed the direct contacts and talks between the US and the DPRK and hopes their dialogue will go smoothly and achieve a positive outcome. We hope that all relevant parties will begin and continue with their talks, accumulate mutual trust and build up consensus, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news conference in Beijing. We expect them to follow the 'dual track' approach to advance the political settlement process of the Korean Peninsula issue, so as to promote and achieve the denuclearization on the one hand and establish the peace regime of the Peninsula on the other hand. Hua also said that as a close neighbor in the Peninsula, China is willing to continue its constructive role in promoting the settlement of issues in the region. Trump tweeted earlier on Wednesday that a smooth meeting had already taken place between his CIA chief Mike Pompeo and the DPRK top leader and a good relationship was formed, and details of summit are being worked out now. In his talk with the media, however, Trump reiterated that the summit might not happen. If I think that it's a meeting that is not going to be fruitful, we're not going to go, he said, according to Reuters. If the meeting when I'm there is not fruitful, I will respectfully leave the meeting. silicone wristbands size chartevent wristbands atlantagreen rubber bracelet meaningsilicone wristbandsrubber jelly bracelets meanings
Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn] Beijing is 'willing' to do more, but 1992 Consensus should be recognized first A spokesman for the Chinese mainland said on Wednesday that the 1992 Consensus embodying the one-China principle is the political foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and that the island's authorities have refused to reiterate its validity. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said the principle clearly defines the fundamental nature of cross-Straits relations and that good relations will help serve the interests and improve the wellbeing of compatriots in Taiwan. The mainland is willing to actively promote whatever is good for Taiwan residents based on a correct stance, Ma said, adding that since the Democratic Progressive Party took office in 2016, it adopted many unreasonable measures restricting exchanges. People want to improve the economy, he said. The mainland is making efforts, and we hope the island side will review and change those unreasonable policies, including restrictions on mainland investment on the island. The island's leader, Tsai Ing-wen, said recently that the island's authorities are open to exchanges between cities and counties but said she didn't want any political preconditions. The island's mainland affairs council also said it won't change its stance. Ma said that no political precondition refers to refusing to recognize the one-China principle, and that the island's cross-Straits policy has seriously harmed the interests of the people there. If the ruling DPP continues to brush off public opinion that favors the development of cross-Straits relations, as well as the desire of people to improve their livelihoods, it will only be left in a more passive position, he added. Ma said that with a correct understanding of the nature of cross-Straits relations, the exchanges and cooperation between cities and counties will definitely expand. In local elections last month in Taiwan, the Kuomintang won 15 of the 22 contested seats, while the ruling DPP landed six. The newly elected Kuomintang county and city heads all publicly declared that they will uphold the 1992 Consensus and expect more cooperation with the mainland to stimulate economic development. On Monday, the head of the island's Penghu county visited Liu Jieyi, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, in Beijing, and they exchanged ideas on issues including the sale of Penghu agricultural products to the mainland and tourism.
