China asks North Korea to stop missile tests, tells US and South to seek talks

[webfact]

China asks North Korea to stop missile tests, tells US and South to seek talks

By Ben Blanchard

REUTERS

 

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a joint news conference with Mongolian Foreign Minister Tsend Munkh-Orgil (not in picture) at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, in Beijing, China February 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Lee

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on North Korea on Wednesday to stop nuclear and missile tests and for the United States and South Korea to stop joint military drills that the isolated North regards as preparation for war.

 

North Korea launched four ballistic missiles on Monday in response to the military exercises. Wang said those tests and the drills were causing tensions on the Korean Peninsula to increase like two "accelerating trains coming towards each other".

 

"China's suggestion is, as a first step, for North Korea to suspend nuclear activity, and for the U.S. and South Korea to also suspend large-scale military drills," Wang said at his annual news conference on the sidelines of the meeting of China's parliament in Beijing.

 

He said this "dual suspension" would allow all sides to return to the negotiating table.

 

North Korea fired four missiles into the sea off Japan's northwest coast on Monday, angering South Korea and Japan with the latest in a series of ballistic missile and nuclear tests in defiance of United Nations resolutions in recent months.

 

"Holding nuclear weapons won't bring security, using military force won't be a way out," Wang said. "There remains a chance of resuming talks, there is still hope for peace."

 

The United States had started to deploy the first elements of its advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system to South Korea after the North's latest tests, U.S. Pacific Command said on Tuesday.

 

The deployment of the anti-missile defence system was likely to deepen a brewing conflict between South Korea and China, which has angrily opposed the THAAD deployment as destroying the regional security balance.

 

The planned THAAD installation, which South Korea has said would be operational by the end of the year, has led to a diplomatic standoff between China and South Korea.

 

Chinese authorities have closed nearly two dozen retail stores of South Korea's Lotte Group, which approved a land swap with the military last week to allow it to install the system.

 

China objects to the THAAD deployment, saying its territory is the target of the system's far-reaching radar. South Korea and the United States have said the missile system is aimed only at curbing North Korean provocations.

 

China is isolated North Korea's most important supporter, but Beijing has been angered by its repeated missile and nuclear tests and has signed up for increasingly severe U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang, including suspending coal imports.

 

China has also rejected accusations from U.S. President Donald Trump that Beijing could be doing more, saying the problem was ultimately between Washington and Pyongyang.

 

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Writing by Philip Wen; Editing by Paul Tait)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-08

[JAG]

The trouble is talks will be meaningless.

 

The leadership (if you can call them that) depend totally on a permanent state of crisis in their countries relationship with just about everyone else on the planet to hold onto power.

 

Talks will erode that state of crisis and thus their hold on power.

 

They are what is technically known by diplomats and international bodies as "<deleted>*ng barking".

[Bannoi]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

China asks North Korea to stop missile tests, tells US and South to seek talks

Asks North Korea yet tells US and South somehow tail wagging the dog comes to mind.

[Redline]

That guy looks like he just got punched in the face.  I hope they said pretty please and we love your brave handsome leader.

[dunroaming]

3 hours ago, Bannoi said:

Asks North Korea yet tells US and South somehow tail wagging the dog comes to mind.

Yes I noticed that too. If there was ever a way to bait Donald

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

He said this "dual suspension" would allow all sides to return to the negotiating table

Yes China really has a knack for negotiating like in the South China Sea. Like a spoiled child they picked up ALL the marbles and went home giving the international court of something the finger. 

[elgordo38]

Again we have heard all this negotiate with North Korea horse pucky before. The US gives them the gold mine food, oil etc. and North Korea 6 months later gives them the shaft right after they are done unloading all the spoils of lying. Its the same same same every time even the US now is not so stupid to fall for this gag again. The only winner is China as they really seem to fear the THAAD missile system. 

[connda]

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