Blinken urges China to convince N Korea to give up nuclear arms – By Zaheena Rasheed (Al Jazeera) / Mar 18 2021
US’s top diplomat says Washington is considering both pressure and diplomatic options for dealing with North Korea.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged China to use its “tremendous influence” to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, adding that Washington was considering both pressure and diplomatic options for dealing with Pyongyang.
Blinken was speaking at the end of high-profile security talks in the South Korean capital, Seoul, on Thursday, hours after a senior North Korean diplomat rejected any negotiations until the US changed its “hostile” policies.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin as well as South Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong and Minister of Defense Suh Wook participated in the security talks in Seoul.
The so-called “two plus two” meeting, the first of its kind in five years, is part of US President Joe Biden’s push to restore Washington’s alliances in Asia in the face of growing challenges from China and North Korea.
Blinken and Austin had visited Japan before coming to Seoul.
