Chinese ambassador: US should do more on DPRK crisis

World
Europe

Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai on Friday called on the US to do more to resolve the crisis on the Korean Peninsula and refrain from making threats to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), one day after Pyongyang launched another missile over Japan into the Pacific Ocean.

"They cannot just leave the issue to China alone, and honestly I think the United States should be doing more, much more than now so that there is really effective international cooperation on this issue," Cui told reporters at an embassy event.

"They should refrain from issuing more threats. They should do more to find effective ways to resume dialogue and negotiation," he said.

On Wednesday US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin suggested that the US is willing to cut off trade “with anyone who trades with the DPRK”. On the same day, US President Donald Trump tweeted "China has a business tax rate of 15%. We should do everything possible to match them in order to win with our economy. Jobs and wages!"

“We've even heard threats to carry out activities that may compromise the economic and trade relations between China and the US,” Cui responded. “I think, it's both a misunderstanding and an abusive use of the UN resolution.”

After Pyongyang’s sixth nuclear test on September 3, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2375, which caps the DPRK's oil imports and bans all its textile exports and remittances by its overseas laborers.

“We need to be clear that the latest UN resolution not only sanctions DPRK’s nuclear activities but also calls for the reopening of dialogue and resolving the issue through consultations. The resolution should be implemented comprehensively,” Cui underscored, adding that the resolution is a shared responsibility for all parties.

When asked if China would cut oil shipments to the DPRK, the Chinese official said China will implement all United Nations Security Council resolutions, no more, no less.

The ambassador also reiterated China’s constant position in continuing to follow the three principles on the DPRK nuclear issue: Sticking to the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization, sticking to the peninsula's peace and stability, and sticking to solving the problem with dialogue and negotiations.

China will never recognize the DPRK as a nuclear state and opposes nuclear weapons anywhere on the Korean Peninsula, he said.