Beijing: A meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is not currently on the agenda for Trump's upcoming visit to Asia, a White House official confirmed Monday. This announcement comes amid growing speculation regarding potential diplomatic engagements with Pyongyang during the trip.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the White House official made these remarks as Trump prepares for his May 14-15 summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The meeting is set to address critical issues such as trade, Taiwan's security, and the Middle East conflict. When asked about the possibility of a Trump-Kim meeting during this trip, the official responded via email, stating, "Such a meeting is not currently on the schedule."
The White House has previously expressed Trump's willingness to engage in dialogue with North Korea "without any preconditions." However, analysts suggest that Trump's focus on the high-stakes summit with China and ongoing peace negotiations with Iran might limit his capacity to pursue a meeting with Kim during this visit.
Trump's first term saw three in-person meetings with Kim Jong-un: the inaugural meeting in Singapore in June 2018, followed by a second in Hanoi in February 2019, and a third encounter at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019.