North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and China’s Xi Jinging have agreed to work together to get the U.S. to withdraw its 28,500 troops from South Korea, according to a report from the Japanese national newspaper Asahi Shimbun on Thursday.
The report, which was noted by United Press International, cited a source familiar with Chinese and North Korean affairs saying the two leaders have agreed not to rush negotiations with Washington that now are likely to see a U.S. troop withdrawal included.
The report comes as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travels to North Korea on Thursday to hold talks meant to confirm plans for the country's denuclearization, NBC News reported.
U.S. intelligences officials, though, believe North Korea does not plan to give up its nuclear weapons program and had attempted to deceive the Trump administration, NBC News said. After an overnight trip to North Korea, Pompeo also is expected to travel to Japan, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, and Belgium for next week's NATO Summit next week.
"We're in a good spot," State Department representative Heather Nauert told reporters last week, according to NBC News. "We're all keeping a close eye. The secretary has been very clear and very blunt with the North Koreans about what he expects."
The Asahi Shimbun source said Chinese and North Korean officials see an opportunity during negotiations to get Trump to withdraw troops from South Korea. Asahi Shimbun said Kim, while keeping his options open, will likely make the troop removal request part of a possible deal.
A peace treaty between the U.S. and North Korea would end the 1953 Armistice Agreement, which would strengthen North Korea's argument for American troop withdrawal, Asahi Shimbun said.
That 1953 agreement established the border between North and South Korea, and a demilitarized the zone between the two nations, History.com noted.
Last month, the Pentagon suspended all planning for August joint military exercises with South Korea, along with several other allies in the region, to comply with President Donald Trump's desire to pull back on so-called "war games," CNN reported.
Trump announced his intention to end military exercises with South Korea during a news conference in Singapore following his historic summit with Kim Jong Un.
U.S. intelligence officials, though, told NBC News that the North Korean government has continued to expand its nuclear weapons activities, increasing production of fuel for nuclear weapons at multiple secret sites in recent months.
North Korea state-run news agency KCNA reported last month that Xi and Kim discussed "strategic and tactical cooperation" between the two countries.