Xi Jinping and Barack Obama have much to talk about during the Chinese president’s three day visit to the United States – from the disputed territory in the South China Sea to cyber security and the devaluation of China’s currency.
But alongside these more high-profile matters there is another pressing problem that can only realistically be tackled through cooperation between the two of them: North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
Time for consensus
On 10 October North Korea will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Korean Workers’ Party (KWP) and a big show is expected. The country has raised the possibility of launching a satellite and has not ruled out a fourth nuclear test, triggering warnings of “severe consequences” from Washington.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula are rising, and Xi and Obama could prevent a potentially dangerous situation by forging a consensus to jointly apply pressure on the DPRK.