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*BY ZACH TOOMBS*
Top U.S. diplomat John Kerry is in China Saturday — urging the government there to help calm relations with North Korea.
The visit marks Kerry’s first meeting with new Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping. The Secretary of State also met with China’s premier Li Keqiang and the nation’s own foreign minister. (Via Al Jazeera)
And progress came quickly — as China and the U.S. released a joint statement, pledging to work together to tamp down tensions and restart talks with North Korea over deactivating its nuclear program. (Via CNN)
China is North Korea’s longtime ally — and perhaps its only friend left on the international stage. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese died fighting for the North in the Korean War. Today, they provide food and supplies for the hermit nation. (Via BBC)
But China is now under pressure to criticize North Korea’s recent threats of nuclear attack. Young leader Kim Jong Un has used them to rally support domestically — though experts doubt the capabilities of North Korea’s missiles. (Via Sky News)
The latest threat: A planned attack on Colorado Springs announced Saturday. It’s not quite as random as you might think. The city houses the North American Aerospace Defense Command. But North Korea did seem to have some trouble identifying Colorado on a map. (Via YouTube / stimmekoreas)
For its part, China has let the crisis play out. Experts say it sees North Korea as a buffer for U.S.-influenced South Korea. But President Xi has made rather vague remarks warning against international threats from the North. (Via The Telegraph)
And Bloomberg notes Chinese exports into North Korea have dropped by about 13 percent in the first three months of the year.
Kerry is pushing China to engage directly with Kim Jong Un. The Secretary of State recently told U.S. executives:
*“There is no group of leaders on the face of the planet who have more capacity to make a difference in this than the Chinese, and everybody knows it, including, I believe, them.” *(Via The Independent)
Kerry will move along to Tokyo on Sunday as part of his Asian tour.
Reported by Newsy 3 minutes ago.