Xi, Trump talk DPRK, China trip on phone

President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula situation and discussed Trump's visit to China later this year in a telephone conversation on Monday.

Xi stressed that he is glad to maintain regular communication with the US president on issues of common concern, according to a press release from the Foreign Ministry on Monday.

It was the second time in a month that the two presidents have spoken over the phone. Their last call was on Sept 6.

A readout from the White House on Monday said that the two presidents discussed "North Korea's continued defiance of the international community and its efforts to destabilize Northeast Asia".

"The two leaders committed to maximizing pressure on North Korea through vigorous enforcement of United Nations Security Council resolutions," the White House statement said.

The recent UN Security Council Resolution 2375 was unanimously adopted on Sept 11 in response to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's sixth nuclear test, conducted on Sept 3.

The UN imposed fresh sanctions on the DPRK, curtailing its oil imports and banning all textile exports, while prohibiting further authorization of work permits abroad for DPRK workers.

China has said the resolution should be implemented "comprehensively and completely", stressing that the resolution also calls for a peaceful settlement through diplomatic and political means.

In their phone call on Monday, President Xi said China and the US share a broad range of common interests, and the current exchanges and cooperation in various fields are gaining good momentum.

The two sides should ramp up high-level exchanges and those at various other levels, ensure the success of the first round of the China-US social and cultural dialogue, as well as the first round of the law enforcement and cybersecurity dialogue, and expand bilateral cooperation in a variety of fields, Xi said, according to the release from Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The two dialogues are expected to be completed prior to President Trump's first state visit to China, Cui Tiankai, China's ambassador to the US, said on Friday.

The two dialogues are part of the four-pronged high-level dialogue mechanisms set up by Xi and Trump during their meeting at Mar-a-Lago in Florida in April. Washington and Beijing held the inaugural high-level dialogue on diplomacy and security in June, and the first-round of high-level dialogue on the economy in July.

Trump said that it is satisfying that the two heads of state keep close contact and a good working relationship.

This year, both the US and China have important domestic agendas, Trump said, and he hopes that these agendas can be carried out smoothly.

Xi said China attaches importance to Trump's state visit and the two sides should work closely to ensure that the visit is fruitful and will inject new impetus into the development of China-US relations.

Trump told Xi he is very much looking forward to his forthcoming state visit to China, and he is confident that this visit will effectively push forward the US-China relationship.

Trump said earlier that he is scheduled to visit China in November.

On the recent major hurricanes hitting the US, Xi expressed condolences to Trump and asked Trump to relay his condolences to the US people.

Trump expressed appreciation in return.

(China Daily USA?09/19/2017 page1)