US refuses to halt controversial drills with ROK

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The United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will go ahead with joint military drills next week, the top US military official said on Thursday, resisting pressure from the DPRK and China to halt the contentious exercises.

DPRK's rapid progress in developing nuclear weapons and missiles capable of reaching the US mainland has fueled a rise in tensions in recent months.

Annual military drills involving tens of thousands of US and ROK troops are due to begin on Monday. The DPRK views such exercises as preparations to invade it.

ROK's RF-16 jet fighters fire flares during a media day presentation of a joint live firing drill between the ROK and the US at the Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, 65 kms northeast of Seoul, April 21, 2017. /AFP Photo

China has urged the US and the ROK to scrap the drills in exchange for the DPRK calling a halt to its weapons programs.

Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the exercises were "not currently on the table as part of the negotiation at any level."

"My advice to our leadership is that we not dial back our exercises. The exercises are very important to maintain the ability of the alliance to defend itself," Dunford told reporters in Beijing after meeting his Chinese counterparts.

"As long as the threat in North Korea (the DPRK) exists, we need to maintain a high state of readiness to respond to that threat," he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with visiting chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, August 17, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

China's 'dual suspension' proposal

Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, told Dunford that China believes the only effective way to resolve the issue is through talks.

"China believes that dialogue and consultations are the only effective avenue to resolve the peninsula issue, and that military means cannot become an option," China's Defense Ministry cited Fan as saying.

Commenting on China's "dual suspension" proposal to halt the US military drills with the ROK and DPRK's missile tests, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said it was the most realistic and achievable solution.

The DPRK tests a Hwasong-14 ICBM, July 29, 2017. /Reuters Photo

"To ease the tense situation created by tit-for-tat escalations, to halt this vicious cycle, there is a need to put aside the dispute over who goes first and who goes second," she said.

Hua said the initiative can not only ease the tension on the Korean Peninsula, but also address the security concerns of all sides, paving the way for a restart of talks.

China always stresses the core and nature of the Korean Peninsula issue is security, she said, adding that dialogue is the only way to properly address the reasonable security concerns of all sides and thus resolve the issue permanently.

Source(s): Reuters ,Xinhua News Agency