Anchor: Attention is being drawn to what breakthroughs this weekend’s U.S.-China summit can produce on the North Korean nuclear issue. Our Kim Soyon reports on what areas Washington and Beijing see eye to eye on and where they differ.

Report: Since late 2008, North Korea has exacerbated its nuclear issue with continued provocations, including nuclear tests and rocket launches.

But in more recent days, changes have begun to emerge. In late May during a trip to China, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s special envoy to China Choe Ryong-hae expressed the North’s will to return to talks, including the six-party nuclear dialogue.

Just Thursday morning, Pyongyang proposed government level talks with Seoul to discuss the issue of the suspended Gaeseong Industrial Complex and the resumption of South Korean tours to North Korea’s Mount Geumgang.

China appears to be coming around as well. The U.S. State Department said Tuesday that Washington and Beijing share the view that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is essential in order to resume dialogue with North Korea.

The emphasis on denuclearization demonstrates that the U.S. won’t accept North Korea’s words alone that it’s sincere about returning to the negotiating table.

At the U.S.-China summit this weekend, U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to reiterate to Chinese President Xi Jinping the importance of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and that Washington rejects talks for the sake of talks.

Obama is also expected to ask for China’s active role in resolving the nuclear issue as Beijing exerts considerable influence on Pyongyang.

But at the same time, it’s unlikely Xi will deliver the exact message the U.S. wants to hear.

The Chinese president did express interest in a nuclear free peninsula during his meeting with the North Korean envoy. But experts believe China is expected to place an emphasis on keeping up the dialogue momentum and addressing various issues put forward by the U.S and North Korea through multiple avenues of talks.

If the Chinese president talks about pressuring the North during the summit with Obama in a way that expresses displeasure over recent moves by North Korea, the U.S. may take it as a sign to push harder and corner the North Korean regime.

A diplomatic source in the U.S. says what Xi says this weekend will be significant in determining the next steps in dealing with the North Korean nuclear issue.

Kim Soyon, KBS World Radio News.