TOKYO — Leaders of Japan, China and South Korea are expected to focus on North Korea’s denuclearization at a trilateral summit in Tokyo on Wednesday morning. “The [upcoming summit] is taking place an important time, ahead of a U.S.-North Korea summit,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference Monday. The three countries are currently coordinating to establish how they will address denuclearization in a joint declaration scheduled to be announced after the summit. Tokyo calls for maintaining maximum pressure in a bid to denuclearize North Korea in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, whereas Beijing argues that pressure should be eased in a phased manner as denuclearization progresses. Abe is scheduled to attend a summit with Moon at around noon on Wednesday.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 09, 2018 05:37 UTC