NORTH KOREAN DENUCLEARIZATION TALK PREP CONTINUES: North and South Korean diplomats are using a direct “hotline” to make arrangements for the summit between Little Rocket Man and President Moon. That’s supposed to begin on April 27. Meanwhile, China has banned the shipment of “dual use” technology to North Korea — or it claims it has.

Details on China’s new export ban:

The ministry gave details of 32 materials, technologies and forms of equipment with potential use related to weapons of mass destruction, including particle accelerators and centrifuges.

In addition, it outlined bans on items with potential dual use in conventional weapons.

The announcement of the export bans comes amid a tightening of exports from China to North Korea. China’s exports of fuel to North Korea slowed to a trickle in February.

Let’s hope that report is accurate.

For background, this article documents the coercive diplomacy that brought the North Korean dictatorship to the table.