21 June 2017

News Story: Ramping up pressure on N. Korea top priority in high-level U.S.-China talks - senior official

By Chang Jae-soon

WASHINGTON, June 19 (Yonhap) -- Ramping up pressure on North Korea will be a key topic for this week's high-level security talks with China that will bring together the top diplomats and defense chiefs of the two countries, a senior State Department official said Monday.

Susan Thornton, acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, made the remark during a conference call briefing to preview the inaugural Diplomatic and Security Dialogue (D&SD) set for Wednesday.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis will host Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Gen. Fang Fenghui, chief of the People's Liberation Army's Joint Staff.

"We are going to give the DPRK/North Korea issue top priority in our discussions, aiming to advance concrete cooperation with China towards a peaceful resolution of the nuclear and missile threat from North Korea," Thornton said.

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