The travels and travails of China’s veteran point man on North Korea underscore China’s growing frustration in its efforts to broker a negotiated solution to rising tensions between North Korea and the United States.
Wu Dawei, 70, spent an unusually long five days in Seoul last week. He met with presidential candidates as well as South Korea's chief nuclear envoy, partly in a bid to ease tensions as a U.S. aircraft carrier group headed toward the region ahead of U.S. Vice President Mike's Pence's visit this week.
But Wu had not been able to confirm plans to visit North Korea, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quoted a diplomatic source as saying: “I understand the Chinese side is asking but the North is not replying.” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Monday he had no information to share about any such visit, adding that “China and the DPRK maintain the tradition of friendly exchanges”.
