The United States and China will work “in a spirit of engagement” to achieve denuclearization in North Korea, Vice President Mike Pence said in a speech on Thursday in Washington.

Pence’s comments — that the U.S. and China will cooperate to solve the Korean nuclear question — were a rare moment of optimism in an otherwise scathing speech about the U.S.-China relationship, a 37-minute broadside against China’s domestic and foreign policy.

The remarks were also the latest in recent days from members of the Trump Administration — including President Donald Trump himself — and North Korean leadership appearing to signal