US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has announced the cancellation of his top diplomat’s upcoming visit to North Korea, saying not enough progress is being made on denuclearisation.

“I have asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to go to North Korea, at this time, because I feel we are not making sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula,” Trump said in a tweet.

“Additionally, because of our much tougher Trading stance with China, I do not believe they are helping with the process of denuclearisation as they once were (despite the UN Sanctions which are in place),” Trump said.

Secretary Pompeo looks forward to going to North Korea in the near future, most likely after our Trading relationship with China is resolved. In the meantime I would like to send my warmest regards and respect to Chairman Kim. I look forward to seeing him soon!

At historic talks with Trump in June, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un signed up to a vague commitment to “denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula”.

Critics were skeptical about the unspecific promise and said it was a far cry from long-standing US demands for complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament.