A pro-North Korean newspaper published in Japan has stressed the importance of North Korea’s dialogue with China and the U.S. in its analysis of a joint New Year’s editorial carried by North Korean newspapers.

The Choson Sinbo, the organ of the North Korea-affiliated the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, reported from Pyongyang that North Korea’s refusal to deal with the current outgoing South Korean government doesn’t mean a halt in the North’s efforts to usher in a new era of unification and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.

The daily mentioned that North Korea held a summit with China and two rounds of high-level talks with the U.S. last year.

The Choson Sinbo hinted that North Korea would likely raise the issue of U.S. forces in South Korea in its dialogue with the U.S. over its nuclear program and peace on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea touched on the issue of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea in the joint editorial. The daily said the mention of withdrawal foretells the direction of nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea.