China won’t allow chaos or war on the Korean peninsula: Xi Jinping

China will not allow chaos and war to break out on the Korean peninsula, President Xi Jinping told a group of foreign ministers from Asia and the Middle East at a regional security summit in Beijing on Thursday.

China would continue to pursue its programme to denuclearise North Korea through dialogue and consultation, and would not allow the Korean peninsula to fall into war or chaos, Xi said.

“Once such a situation happens, it would not do anyone any good,” he warned in a speech at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

North Korea’s bid to develop a nuclear weapons capability – in defiance of United Nations’ resolutions – has angered China amid growing tensions in the region.

Xi said China has also “fully and completely” implemented UN sanctions against North Korea, which were imposed last month. He urged all sides to exercise restraint and return to the negotiating table.

Pyongyang conducted its fourth nuclear test in January and followed that with tests of various missiles that could deliver such a potent weapon.