2018年CRI DPRK, U.S. leader hold historic meeting, China voices support

The top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump 1 have held their highly-anticipated meeting in Singapore.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has voiced their support for the unprecedented 2 meeting, saying the Singapore meeting marks a new page in history after half a century of tensions between the U.S. and the DPRK.

"The U.S. and the DPRK have been opposing each other, and even hostile to each other for more than half a century. Today, the fact that the two countries' top leaders can sit together and hold equal talks has great and positive significance, creating a new history. Of course, China welcomes and supports the meeting because this is exactly what we look forward to and what we have been working for," says Wang.

The Chinese foreign minister says this meeting should be able to set the table for conversations on equal terms between Kim and Trump.

"We hope that top leaders of the two countries will eliminate barriers, establish mutual 3 trust, overcome difficulties and reach basic consensus 4 on promoting and achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and enhancing and building a peace mechanism 5 on the peninsula. We hope they can make an important step in this direction. Of course, we are willing to see all the relevant parties making positive efforts in this regard," says Wang.

The Chinese foreign minister also says China will continue to do its part in helping 6 denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump began their summit on Tuesday morning with a historic handshake lasting 7 for several seconds.

They then met one-on-one for about 40 minutes, before proceeding 8 to an expanded meeting joined by a few aides.

In the afternoon, the two leaders signed a joint 9 statement, with Kim agreeing to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in exchange for security guarantees.

"Today, we had a historic meeting and decided 10 to leave the past behind, and we are signing a historic document. The world will see a major change. I would like to express my gratitude 11 to President Trump to make this meeting happen," said Kim.

The statement said that the two leaders conducted a "comprehensive, in-depth and sincere exchange of opinions" on issues with regard to establishing new DPRK-U.S. ties and building a lasting, robust 12 peace mechanism on the peninsula.

The two sides also agreed to commit to recovering the remains 13 of prisoners of war and those missing in action during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, with those already identified set to be repatriated 14.

After the summit, Donald Trump took question from the roughly 2500 reporters covering the event, saying his meeting with Kim Jong Un proves that real change is indeed possible.

"My meeting with Chairman Kim was honest direct and productive. We've got to know each other well in a very confined period of time under very strong, strong circumstance. We're prepared to start a new history and we're ready to write a new chapter between our nations," said Trump.

Trump has also revealed the US side plans to stop conducting its annual war games with South Korea, and that sanctions against the DPRK will be lifted if -quote- "they know the nukes are no longer a factor."

The summit in Singapore represents the first-ever meeting between a sitting U.S. President and a top DPRK leader.