Trump-Kim Summit Movement
With Mike Pompeo having secretly visited North Korea over Easter for face-to-face talks with Kim Jung Un, plans for a Trump-Kim summit are going forward.
Bloomberg reports on possible summit locations, with their sources saying Beijing is notably not on the list. During a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump said 5 sites are under consideration.
Moon-Kim Meeting Next Week - A Peace Treaty Coming?
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean premier Kim Jong Un are set to meet on April 27 to discuss a peace treaty to end the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended with a truce and is technically still unresolved.
The meeting is to take place at the Peace House in the DMZ and will be the first to be held on South Korea soil. The two countries have reportedly agreed to broadcast parts of the summit live.
The two Koreas have never established diplomatic relations. The armistice that ended the war was signed by signed by the US (as the commander of U.N. forces), North Korea and China.
It’s not known if North Korea will insist that the US and China join the peace agreement. The previous North Korean position has been for three parties – North Korea, China, and the U.S. — to sign a final peace treaty.
The South Koreans say they would consider negotiating a peace treaty after the North agrees to denuclearization. On Tuesday Trump endorsed Seoul's efforts. There does not yet appear to be reaction from China.
With the visit to Beijing by Kim Jong-un, it's looking more likely that a Trump-Kim summit will take place.
The meeting may even take place in Beijing.
Getting a North Korea deal is important to Trump, and given his loose play with facts, it won't have to be much in order for him to claim credit. Kicking the can down the road will be enough for him to declare victory. Fox News will help him celebrate.
If John Bolton survives to make the trip, he'll swallow his past belligerence and climb on board, happy to be in the spotlight. He is a kiss-up/kick-down type of guy.
South Korea is unlikely to scuttle a Trump deal. They are in it for the long haul and recognize that the real work starts once Trump decamps for home.
But what will China want?
Most obviously, Xi will want out from under the prospect of a trade war with the US. But is that all? Not likely.
Xi would like the US to lighten up on the South China Sea. He also wants to nip growing US support for Taiwan in the bud.
Hopefully, that linkage will be a bridge too far for team Trump.