Call comes after North Korea accused US of pushing region to the ‘brink’ of nuclear war
China is calling for restraint in the standoff over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, one day after North Korea complained the United States is pushing the region closer to nuclear war.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a phone call Wednesday with Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte, urged all parties in the standoff to use restraint and return to the negotiating table as soon as possible, Chinese state radio reported.
In his daily briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, “We again urge all relevant parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, stop irritating each other [and] work hard to create an atmosphere for contact and dialogue between all sides.”
North Korea said Tuesday military exercises in the region by the U. S. and its allies amounts to “reckless military provocation” that is “pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war.
