Senior Official for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Pak’s Meeting with People’s Republic of China (PRC) Special Representative on Korean Peninsula Affairs Liu

Senior Official for the DPRK Dr. Jung Pak met PRC Special Representative on Korean Peninsula Affairs Liu Xiaoming in Tokyo on May 9.

Senior Official Pak noted the continued threat posed to regional and global security by the DPRK's unlawful nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, as well as its provocative and irresponsible rhetoric toward its neighbors. She stressed concerns regarding deepening military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including unlawful arms transfers, and noted that Russia's veto of a UN Security Council resolution to extend the mandate of the UN 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee's Panel of Experts will hamper the efforts of the international community to ensure implementation of previous UN Security Council resolutions. Senior Official Pak emphasized U.S. commitment to dialogue and diplomacy with the DPRK as the only viable means of achieving lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. She also expressed continued U.S. concerns regarding the forcible repatriation of North Koreans, including asylum seekers, to the DPRK and called on Beijing to uphold its non-refoulement obligations.

This meeting follows Secretary Blinken's April 24-26 visit to the People's Republic of China, during which the Secretary underscored the U.S. commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to the importance of maintaining open lines of communication with the PRC.