As a U.S. Navy "armada" steamed toward the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump over the phone, reiterating the need for a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear standoff.
"China insists on realizing the denuclearization of the peninsula ... and is willing to maintain communication and coordination with the American side over the issue on the peninsula," Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV and other official media outlets.
The phone call, which China's Foreign Ministry said had been initiated by Trump, came amid growing concerns that the U.S. was eyeing military action to rein in the North's nuclear weapons and missile programs.