By Kim Young Deok and Lee Hana

President Moon Jae-in on June 27 held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, and discussed bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula, raising economic cooperation and tackling climate change. 

Xi, who had earlier visited Pyeongyang for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 20, briefed President Moon on the results of his trip. The Chinese leader also agreed on the need for efforts toward denuclearizing the peninsula and bringing lasting peace to the region. 

Xi also conveyed Kim's wish to resume dialogue with Seoul, saying the North Korean leader remains "strongly committed" to denuclearization.

President Moon said he believed the North Korea-China summit and the exchange of personal letters between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim helped gather momentum for resuming talks between Washington and Pyeongyang. Adding that Xi's visit to the North came at a crucial time in the peace process, President Moon also asked China to continue playing a constructive role in the negotiations. 

On the economic front, both leaders lauded the positive results of their economic partnership, noting that bilateral trade and commerce last year reached record highs. Mentioning follow-up talks on a bilateral free trade agreement, President Moon said he saw this as an opportunity to strengthen the foundation of two-way economic cooperation.

Turning to climate change, both sides agreed to continue cooperation to reduce atmospheric pollution, a problem they said is directly linked to public welfare. 

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