Donald Trump Says China Wants to ‘De-Nuke’ North Korea Following Phone Call with Xi Jinping

President Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, revealing to reporters that China claims to want to help reduce North Korea’s increasingly hostile actions.

“President Xi would like to do something,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a speech in North Dakota. “We’ll see whether or not he can do it.”

Later on Air Force One, Trump told reporters that the Chinese president was “very much in favor of the de-nuke of North Korea.”

He said that the two leaders had a “very, very frank” discussion about North Korea’s increased hostility to the United States and its allies in the East.

“I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100 percent. He doesn’t want to see what’s happening there, either,” Trump said.

The White House readout of the call said Trump and Xi “condemned North Korea’s latest provocative and destabilizing action and noted North Korea’s current path is dangerous to the world and not in its own interest.”

China’s state news agency reported that President Xi was “adamant” about maintaining peace in the region and “resolving the nuclear issue through talks.”

“The Chinese president said the general direction should head toward a peaceful settlement of the issue, adding that dialogue combined with a set of comprehensive measures is best for seeking a long-term solution,” the agency reported.

Trump told reporters later that military action against North Korea was not his first choice, even though he has repeated that all options are on the table.

“We will not be putting up with what’s happening in North Korea,” he said.

Trump has made several calls to world leaders in recent days to discuss the threat posed by North Korea.

On Tuesday, he spoke with Prime Minister Theresa May of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia. Last week, he spoke with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, and President Moon Jae-In of South Korea.

America’s allies condemned North Korea’s claimed test of a hydrogen bomb and agreed to cooperate to respond to the rogue nation’s hostile actions.