Beijing: China’s foreign minister on Thursday urged North Korea not to go further in a “dangerous direction” with its nuclear program.
‘Negotiations were the only way out of the crisis over Pyongyang’s weapons development,’ said Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister.
Wang Yi also told the annual U.N. General Assembly China was committed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and there should be no new nuclear weapons north or south of the border, or elsewhere in Northeast Asia.
“United States should honor its ‘four no’ commitment,” he urged.
An apparent reference to an Aug. 1 statement by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in which he said Washington did not seek the collapse or change of the North Korean government, accelerated reunification of the peninsula, or to send its military north of the border.
“We urge the DPRK not to go further along a dangerous direction,” Wang said, referring to North Korea by the acronym of its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“And we call upon all parties to play a constructive role in easing tensions. There is still hope for peace and we must not give up. Negotiation is the only way out, which deserves every effort. Parties should meet each other half way, by addressing each other’s legitimate concerns.”
In his speech, Wang did not mention U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of new sanctions on Thursday which opens the door wider to blacklisting people and entities doing business with North Korea, including its shipping and trade networks.