White House: ‘Maximum pressure’ campaign on North Korea is working

The White House said Tuesday night that it views its “maximum pressure” campaign against North Korea as working effectively, shortly after Kim Jong Un met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

The Chinese government briefed the U.S. about Xi’s meeting with the North Korean leader, according to White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

“The United States remains in close contact with our allies South Korea and Japan,” Sanders said. “We see this development as further evidence that our campaign of maximum pressure is creating the appropriate atmosphere for dialogue with North Korea.”

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Kim reportedly stayed in China through Tuesday, marking the first time he has left North Korea since he took power in 2011.

He met with Xi multiple times during his visit to China, according to the Chinese state-controlled Xinhua news agency.

The North Korean leader reportedly said he was willing to work with the U.S. and South Korea to denuclearize.

Earlier this month, President Trump said he was open to meeting with Kim and there are plans to get the two leaders together in May.

Trump and Kim have often traded insults but, following the announcement of the summit, Kim said he was willing to stop missile testing in the interim.

Kim’s visit to China also comes before planned talks between North Korea and South Korea next month.