China’s reaction to North Korea’s nuclear weapons first-use law tipped to be muted
- Seoul and US react with standard rhetoric as North Korea passes law outlining scenarios for pre-emptive nuclear strikes if attacked
- China will only harden its stance if it sees the possibility of offensive strikes, which is not indicated by the new law, says analyst at NUS
China’s reaction to a new North Korean law sanctioning the launch of preventive nuclear strikes will be muted, analysts said, despite Beijing’s support for denuclearisation of the Korea peninsula.
Earlier, addressing the need to maintain a nuclear arsenal, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un accused the US – as the No 1 nuclear power and the first-ever user of atomic weapons – of not just trying to denuclearise the country, but to overthrow his government as well.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the US had no hostile intent and continued to seek diplomacy with North Korea, while the foreign ministry in Seoul said the move would only further strengthen its alliance with Washington.
China, a powerful neighbour and North Korea’s main ally and trade partner, was also likely to take a low-key approach, regional observers said.
“While it does prefer North Korea to eventually denuclearise, Beijing does not want to put additional pressure to force it to do so,” said Zhang Baohui, professor of international affairs at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.