Will Xi and Putin seek a solution to North Korea nuke threat at One Belt, One Road summit?

May 08, 2017, 09:00 am

By Hong Soon-do, Beijing correspondent, AsiaToday – One Belt, One Road summit, which will be held in Beijing on May 14-15, is expected to be a breakthrough in finding a solution to the North Korean nuclear issue. The summit may find a solution that is far more advanced and innovative than now not impossibly. Furthermore, the world leaders attending the summit may adopt a statement of recommendation asserting that both North Korea and the United States should make more efforts for a peaceful settlement of the issue.

According to a source from Beijing's western diplomatic sources on Sunday, China is making a nation-wide efforts to make its One Belt, One Road project a success. The summit, where 28 heads of state and government leaders will attend, can be seen as the fruition of China's efforts. Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to host the round table summit of the leaders. Obviously, the summit will draw global attention. However, the source says the eyes of the world will be more focused on how the North Korean nuclear issue will be solved.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who are likely to seek solution to North Korean nuclear threat at One Belt, One Road summit to be held in Beijing on May 14-15./ Source: Xinhua News Agency

Most of all, we should pay attention to the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the summit. Since Putin has consistently asserted the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear crisis, it's very likely that he will actively mention the issue when he meets Xi Jinping. Besides, there is a good chance that both Xi and Putin will reach an agreement on keeping pace with the issue. This is quite convincing since both leaders have similar thoughts on the North Korean nuclear issue.

We should also take note that Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte will attend the summit. This is especially true considering the fact that Duterte recently emphasized the relief of tensions on the Korean Peninsula through a series of phone calls with US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. It looks like a fait accompli that the Philippines leader will discuss the issue once again when he meets Xi Jinping.

It is also possible that Xi Jinping will actively pursue a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis. It's because stability and peace on the Korean peninsula should not be broken in order to successfully implement his ambitious One Road, One Belt initiative. In fact, Xi is planning to listen to the opinions of the leaders around the world actively about the issue at the upcoming meeting. Prof. Han Xiandong of the Chinese Academy of Law said, "Xi Jinping will be listening to the leaders from each country about the North Korean nuclear solution at the upcoming meeting."

#Xi Jinping #Vladimir Putin #One Belt One Road summit #North Korea nuclear