Sanctions and talks the best way to end the crisis over Pyongyang’s development of nuclear weapons, say foreign ministry spokesman
China said on Tuesday it fully backs the latest UN sanctions against North Korea limiting oil exports to the reclusive nation after Pyongyang’s nuclear test last week.
China hopes Monday’s United Nation Security Council resolution, which cuts the annual export of oil and fuel products from about 8.5 million barrels to two million, will be fully enforced, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement.
Geng added the resolution also reiterated to need to maintain peace and stability in the Korea peninsula and Northeast Asia. China also called for a diplomatic and political solution to the crisis, supported the resumption of the six-party international talks for the denuclearisation of the peninsula and stressed that all parties should take measures to ease tensions, said Geng.
“The peninsula issue must be resolved peacefully. The military solution has no way out. China will not allow war or chaos on the Korean peninsula, ” the statement said.
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Geng said the dual suspension of North Korea’s nuclear and missile programme plus US-South Korea military exercises and a “dual-track” approach combining sanctions and talks were practical and feasible ways to resolve the crisis.
Geng added that North Korea should abide by the UN Security Council resolution.
He also reiterated that China firmly opposed the deployment of a US-developed missile shield in South Korea, saying it severely damaged China and other country’s strategic security.
The US ambassador at the UN, Nikki Haley, said on Monday oil was the lifeblood of North Korea’s efforts to build and deliver a nuclear weapon and the US-drafted resolution includes the strongest sanctions ever imposed on Pyongyang.
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The measures target its last remaining major exports and would cut the amount of oil provided to North Korea by about 30 per cent, she said.
“Today, we are saying the world will never accept a nuclear armed North Korea. And today, the Security Council is saying that if the North Korean regime does not halt its nuclear programme, we will act to stop it ourselves, ” she said. “This will cut deep.”
