Trump hails N Korea's Kim

♦ S Korea says nothing has been decided about whether to hold drills

♦ China slams Trump's logic on North Korea

Days after cancelling a planned visit to North Korea by his top diplomat citing insufficient progress in denuclearisation talks, US President Donald Trump hailed his personal relationship North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday and said there was no reason to resume war games with South Korea.

Trump's statement came a day after his defense secretary hinted that the drills, which North Korea denounces as rehearsals for invasion, could resume.

Trump tweeted a White House statement in which he once again questioned China's role in helping to resolve the crisis over North Korea's development of nuclear weapons that threaten the United States.

The statement said Trump believed North Korea was under "tremendous pressure" from China, but Beijing was also supplying Pyongyang with "considerable aid," including fuel, fertiliser and commodities.

"This is not helpful!" the statement said.

"Nonetheless, the President believes that his relationship with Kim Jong Un is a very good and warm one, and there is no reason at this time to be spending large amounts of money on joint US-South Korea war games," it added.

"Besides, the President can instantly start the joint exercises again with South Korea, and Japan, if he so chooses. If he does, they will be far bigger than ever before."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the remarks regarding China's role on the North Korea issue were "irresponsible".

"The US side's irresponsible distortion of facts and logic is world-leading and really not something the ordinary person can understand," Hua told a regular news briefing yesterday in Beijing when asked about Trump's tweet.

The United States and South Korea have internally agreed to carry out the joint military air drill "Vigilant Ace" in December and are discussing the size of the drill and the extent of the participation, South Korean newspaper Joongang Ilbo reported yesterday, citing multiple unnamed government sources.

South Korea's defense ministry said that nothing has been decided about whether to hold "Vigilant Ace" this year.