The Essences of the Pyongyang declaration.

Byline: Luo Xinghuan and Ren Mu

Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea and Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea held the Inter-Korean Summit Meeting in Pyongyang on September 18-20, 2018. During their significant meeting, they announced Pyongyang Declaration together, which will break new ground in inter-Korean relations. This declaration is of great significance to the international community.

Literally, the Pyongyang joint statement highlights the following key issues. First, the two sides are determined to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Second, the two sides will work together to improve relation between the two countries so as to end the existing state of war. Not long ago, the defense ministers of the two countries signed a comprehensive agreement aiming at easing tensions on the Korean peninsula. Third, the DPRK and ROK will further push forward the peace negotiation process on the Korean Peninsula. Given that Kim Jong-un's commitment to 'complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula', this will be seen as a political declaration marking the beginning of the peace talks. If all goes well, the normalization of DPRK-US relation will soon be realized after the complete denuclearization of DPRK.

However, although the declaration was drafted and issued by DPRK and South Korea, the essences behind it are not only derived from these two countries. As a close neighbor to the Korean Peninsula, China, also provided the wisdom and ideas for the declaration invisibly. As a matter of fact, China's mediation and coordinating role behind South Korea and the DPRK has contributed greatly to the relative ease of their relation.

Firstly, Kim Jong-un visited China three times in three months. Actually, his three visits to China were all at important time occasions. Just after a month of his first visit to China, he met with South Korean President, Wen Jae-in, at Panmunjom and issued the historic Panmunjom Declaration. This visit to China was also his first visit since he became the supreme leader of the DPRK. Besides, after his second visit to China, he not only met with Wen Jae-in again, but also held a historic meeting with U. S. President, Donald Trump. As soon as he finished the visiting with Trump, he visited China for the third time and briefed President Xi about the current situation on the Korean peninsula.

Not only that, just ten days before the...