US in contact with North Korea and ready to talk, Tillerson says

The United States has direct communication channels with North Korea and is investigating whether the regime is ready to enter talks on giving up its nuclear weapons programme, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Saturday. China and the United States to strengthen coordination on major global issues and to respect each other’s core interests. The two nations have disagreements over the handling of North Korea, with Washington calling on Beijing to put more pressure on Pyongyang, while Beijing says the crisis should be resolved through dialogue. Su Hao, a professor with the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, said China and the US were trying to contain their differences and find common ground in an effort to build positive momentum for Trump’s visit. Pang Zhongying, an international relations professor at Ocean University in Qingdao, said China’s role and leverage over North Korea would be reduced if the US and North Korea engaged in talks. “That leverage might be further diminished if the US could accept a nuclear-armed North Korea”, he said.