Kerry in Beijing links Korean, Iranian, Syrian crises

US Secretary of State John Kerry met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday in a bid to persuade him to exert pressure on North Korea to scale back its belligerent rhetoric and, eventually, return to nuclear talks wit a view ot renewing vital aid.  "Mr. President, this is obviously a critical time with some very challenging issues – issues on the Korean peninsula, the challenge of Iran and nuclear weapons, Syria and the Middle East, and economies around the world that are in need of a boost," Kerry told Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People. It was the first time that a high US official had linked the Korean crisis with the two Mid East issues.