State Dept. says 'nothing to share' on N.K. leader's planned trip to China

▲ The State Department in Washington. (Yonhap)

US-NK leader-China visit

State Dept. says 'nothing to share' on N.K. leader's planned trip to China

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. State Department said Thursday that it has "nothing to share" on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's reported plan to visit China to attend next week's high-profile military parade, as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his openness to reengaging with Kim.

Kim plans to join Wednesday's military event in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, in what would be his first joint appearance with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to reports.

"We have nothing to share on this matter at this time," a State Department spokesperson said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency.

The terse statement came as Trump has touted his "good" relationship with Xi and expressed his willingness to meet with Kim.

During Monday's summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Trump voiced his hope to meet Kim this year, adding to expectations that he will rekindle his personal diplomacy that led to his three in-person meetings with Kim during his first term, including the first summit in Singapore in June 2018.

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