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Xi again urges restraint over North Korea crisis in phone call from Trump

Leaders discuss nuclear crisis as hostile rhetoric and threat of military action escalates

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US President Donald Trump (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, last week. Photo: AFP

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear crisis in a phone call with his US counterpart Donald Trump on Wednesday, as hostile rhetoric and the threat of military action escalated.

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The conversation between the two leaders came less than a week after they met at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida – suggesting both nations were growing ­increasingly concerned that ­tensions on the Korean peninsula were becoming uncontainable.

Trump tweeted he “had a very good call last night with the president of China concerning the menace of North Korea”.

In the conversation, Xi stressed the importance of “peaceful means to solve problems”, according to Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang, who said Xi took the call “at the invitation” of Trump.

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“Xi Jinping has stressed China insists on denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula to firmly safeguard peace and stability on the peninsula,” the ministry said in a statement, adding Beijing was willing to maintain communication with the US on the matter.

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