Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang's Regular Press Conference on May 18, 2018

应国务院总理李克强邀请，德意志联邦共和国总理安格拉·默克尔将于5月24日至25日对中国进行正式访问。 

　　问：据报道，美国总统特朗普称，金正恩委员长与习近平主席的第二次会晤导致朝鲜对半岛局势的态度发生了改变。中方对此有何评论？ 

　　答：我不知道你援引的是不是特朗普总统讲话的原文。实际上，特朗普总统近一段时间以来就半岛问题，包括即将举行的美朝领导人会晤作过不少表态。 

At the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council, Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Federal Republic of Germany will pay an official visit to China from May 24 to 25. 

Q: According to reports, US President Trump said that it might be the second meeting between Chairman Kim Jong Un and President Xi Jinping that led to the DPRK's change of attitude on the Korean Peninsula issue. What is your comment?

A: I am not sure whether you are quoting President Trump's words as the way he said them. In fact, President Trump has been saying a lot on the Korean Peninsula issue, including on the upcoming US-DPRK summit. 

　　至于中方在半岛问题上的作用，大家都非常清楚。首先，中方在半岛问题上的主张和立场是一贯的。不管其他各方的立场曾经有过这样或那样的变化，中方的立场从来没有变化。我们坚持半岛无核化目标，坚持维护半岛和平与稳定，我们同时也一直坚持有关各方通过政治协商以和平方式解决半岛问题。 

　　这两天，我们在这里已多次介绍过，中方对最近一段时间以来半岛出现的对话和缓和局面表示欣慰，给予鼓励。我们主张，有关各方抓住机遇，相向而行，为巩固半岛当前缓和局面、使问题尽快回到通过对话解决轨道共同作出努力。 

As for China's role on this issue, I believe everyone is clear about that. First, our proposal and position on the Korean Peninsula issue remain consistent. The other parties may have changed their positions in one way or another, but China's position has never changed. We are committed to realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and peacefully resolving the Korean Peninsula issue through political talks between all relevant parties. 

We have been reiterating over the past few days that China is pleased with the recent momentum of dialogue and détente on the Korean Peninsula, and we encourage a continuation of this momentum. We believe that all relevant parties should seize the opportunity, meet each other halfway, and make concerted efforts to consolidate the improving situation on the Korean Peninsula and bring the issue back to the track of settlement through dialogues at an early date.