We won’t tolerate instability: Beijing’s warning to Washington and Pyongyang
China will not sit by and watch the Korean peninsula’s fundamental stability be disrupted, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said yesterday, in a reference analysts said was aimed not only at Pyongyang’s recent provocations but also at Washington’s military manoeuvring in the region.
The top diplomat also warned that “false belief” in resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis through sanctions and suppression was “irresponsible” while insisting negotiation was the way forward.
“At the moment there is some sabre-rattling in the Korean peninsula and the situation is a bit explosive. If the tensions worsen, or even get out of control, it would be a disaster for all parties,” Wang told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual National People’s Congress.
“As the largest neighbour of the peninsula, China will not sit by and see a fundamental disruption to stability [there], and will not sit by and see unwarranted damages to China’s security interests.”
READ MORE: China’s thick red media line on what journalists can write about communist ally North Korea
China has been under intense pressure to impose stricter punishment on North Korea for its recent nuclear test and missile launches. It has agreed to a new round of United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang, but critics remain sceptical of Beijing’s willingness to faithfully carry out the measures.