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Roundup: China, Russia call for restraint on Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, U.S. urges DPRK to stop provocative actions

Xinhua, March 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

China and Russia have called for restraint in the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, while the United States urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to end its provocative actions.

At a second meeting on Northeast Asia security Friday in Moscow, China and Russia called for the denuclearization of the peninsula, stressing that the nuclear issue can only be resolved through dialogue.

The two countries urged all parties involved to dampen their rhetoric and seek a peaceful solution to the issue.

Yet they stressed the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on the DPRK to effectively curb the country's ability to further develop its nuclear and missile programs.

China and Russia also voiced serious concerns over the possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, a U.S. Army anti-ballistic missile system, in South Korea.

Beijing and Moscow say they strongly opposed the move because it would increase tensions in the region and undermine the security of regional countries.

Considering the many hot issues and key problems in Northeast Asia, as well as the more complicated regional security situation, the two sides agreed to increase communication.

Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov co-chaired the meeting. The first such meeting was held last April in Shanghai.

Meanwhile, the United States on Friday urged the DPRK to refrain from provocative actions and bellicose statements after the UN Security Council expanded sanctions on Pyongyang.

"We continue to urge the North Korea (DPRK) to refrain from provocative actions and statements that tend to aggravate tensions," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told a daily press briefing.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution to impose tougher sanctions on the DPRK to curb the country's nuclear and missile programs. Council members also called for an early resumption of the Six-Party Talks.

On Thursday, the DPRK fired several short-range projectiles into the East Sea. It strongly condemned the new resolution Friday, threatening to take measures against it.

"The kind of comments and provocative actions that we've seen out of Pyongyang in the last 36 hours or so are not new," Earnest said. "We believe that they should focus on fulfilling their international obligations and commitments, particularly when it relates to their nuclear program."

Commenting on the impact of the new sanctions, Earnest said that "it is too soon to evaluate," adding that Washington will continue to closely monitor the situation in the region.

The Six-Party Talks, which involve the DPRK, South Korea, China, Japan, the United States and Russia, are believed to be the best way forward in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The talks were launched in 2003 but have been stalled since December 2008. The DPRK quit the talks in April 2009.

China has recently proposed a "parallel-track approach" to address the issue, denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and replacing the Korean armistice with a peace agreement. Endi