Kim's speech offers hope peninsula progress won't stall

Editor's note: In his New Year speech, Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, stressed Pyongyang's determination for a denuclearized peninsula - the DPRK will not make or test nuclear weapons - and that he is ready for a second meeting with US President Donald Trump anytime. Beijing News comments on Wednesday:

It is good to see that Trump echoed Kim's sentiment saying on Twitter that he looks forward to meeting with Kim.

Looking back just one year reveals how far the situation has improved. In his New Year speech last year, Kim warned Washington that the nuclear button is on his desk, and Trump responded tit-for-tat saying that the US' nuclear capabilities were bigger and stronger.