UN Security Council condemns North Korea’s latest missile provocation without imposing new sanctions
While supporting the statement, China called on the US and South Korea to dismantle a missile defence system they have deployed in South Korea
The UN Security Council, in an emergency meeting, issued a statement condemning North Korea’s launch of a missile over Japan’s airspace, but stopped short of any new sanctions or other specific measures to rein in Pyongyang.
While supporting the statement, China and Russia assigned some blame to other Security Council members for a recent escalation in tension and criticised the US for secondary sanctions issued recently against companies Washington accused of violating existing sanctions against Pyongyang.
China also called on the US and South Korea to dismantle a missile defence system they have deployed in South Korea.
Although Pyongyang has launched dozens of missiles over the past year in violation of UN Security Council sanctions, the latest by Pyongyang triggered immediate condemnation from Tokyo, the US and China as it was the first North Korean missile in eight years to fly over Japan.
The UN Security Council statement “strongly condemns the [August 28] ballistic missile launch by [North Korea] that flew over Japan as well as the multiple ballistic missile launches it conducted on the 25th of August”, Security Council President Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta said in the meeting.