Off the wire
Canada changes entry rules for three countries' citizens  • Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, April 29  • Backgrounder: Chronology of ASEAN summits  • Backgrounder: Manila - venue of 30th ASEAN summit  • Japan protests against DPRK's failed missile test  • Xinhua China news advisory -- April 29  • Backgrounder: Basic facts about ASEAN  • Felipe Melo cited by CONMEBOL after Copa Libertadores brawl  • Semifinal results at World Snooker Championship  • China's Ding levels at 12-12 with Selby at snooker worlds semifinals  
You are here:   Home

1st LD: Chinese FM stresses two directions in dealing with nuclear issue on Korean Peninsula

Xinhua, April 29, 2017 Adjust font size:

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Friday that two directions must be stuck to while dealing with the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

"We must stay committed to the goal of denuclearization," Wang said while addressing the UN Security Council Ministerial Meeting on Non-proliferation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"All parties should comprehensively understand and fully implement DPRK-related Security Council resolutions," he said.

"Denuclearization is the basic precondition for long-term peace and stability on the Peninsula and what we must accomplish to safeguard the international nuclear non-proliferation regime," Wang said.

The Security Council held a special meeting on Friday to discuss the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed the meeting, which was chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, as the United States holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council this month.

Wang and foreign ministers or vice foreign ministers of Britain, Russia, Senegal and Japan, attended the meeting.

"The continued escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula in the recent period has caused widespread concerns and worries of the international community," said Wang.

"If the issue of the Peninsula fails to be put under effective control and in the case of unexpected events, the situation is highly likely to take a drastic turn for the worse and spiral out of control," he added.

All the 15 members of the Security Council addressed the meeting focusing on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and the implementation of relevant UN resolutions.

Wang said,"We must stay committed to the path of dialogue and negotiation."

"The use of force does not resolve differences, and will only lead to bigger disasters," he noted, adding that "as the only way out, dialogue and negotiation also represent the sensible choice for all parties."

"Our past experience of resolving the nuclear issue on the peninsula shows, whenever dialogue and negotiation were ongoing, the situation on the peninsula would maintain basic stability and efforts toward denuclearization could make progress," said the minister.

He recalled the period between 2003 and 2007 when the parties were engaged in dialogue and negotiation, and three joint documents were adopted.

"In particular, the September 19th Joint Statement in 2005 set out the roadmap for the DPRK's abandonment of all nuclear programs and the realization of peace on the peninsula," he said.

"Even today, the Joint Statement still carries major positive significance, and has been reaffirmed and acknowledged by all DPRK-related resolutions of the Security Council," Wang said.

On Saturday, the DPRK test-fired a ballistic missile, which exploded shortly after liftoff, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

The country conducted a hydrogen bomb test and a nuclear warhead explosion test on Jan. 6 and Sept. 9 in 2016, respectively. The Security Council adopted resolutions on March 2 and Nov. 30 of 2016, respectively, demanding the DPRK abandon its nuclear weapon and missile programs and imposing sanctions on it. Endi