China said Kim had pledged to denuclearise the Korean peninsula while North Korean state media said Xi had accepted "with pleasure" an invitation to visit the North. "North Korea is seeking assurances," he said. Analysts say North Korea has been hurt by tightening UN sanctions and would need Beijing's support for any softening of trade restrictions. With China signing on to ever-stricter United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang, North Korean state media took to openly criticizing and even threatening China. "We want a denuclearised North Korea, but at the same time we want North Korea to be a friend."

Source: dna March 28, 2018 05:44 UTC