South Korea seeks China’s help as Trump pushes for Kim talks

South Korea is seeking China’s support in reviving talks with North Korea as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un despite Pyongyang’s denial of any top-level contact. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun called for China to play a constructive role in facilitating North Korea’s swift return to dialogue during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Seoul on Wednesday.

Wang arrived in South Korea earlier in the day for his first bilateral visit to the neighboring nation in five years. Wang told Cho that China hopes to see the two Koreas move toward peaceful coexistence, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Wang’s visit comes as Trump seeks to restart dialogue with North Korea while scaling back joint military drills with South Korea that Pyongyang has long denounced as a war rehearsal.