Foreign Ministry: 'China responsibility theory' on DPRK has to stop

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The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday hit back at repeated calls from Washington to put more pressure on the DPRK and called for a stop to the so-called "China responsibility theory", saying all parties needed to pull their weight.

In response to demands from several countries to increase pressure on Pyongyang, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China is not responsible for ratcheting up tensions and the key to a resolution does not lie with Beijing.

Geng said China has played a constructive role but all parties need to meet each other half way.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang takes questions at a press conference in Beijing. /MOFA Photo

“If China is doing all it can to put out the fire while others are adding oil, if China is earnestly implementing the UN Security Council resolutions on the DPRK while others are damaging China's legitimate sovereign rights, if China is pushing for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, while others are damaging China's security interests, how can China's efforts ever yield results?" Geng asked, "How can the situation ever be relaxed? And how can the peninsula's nuclear issue ever be solved?”

How the ‘China responsibility theory’ came about

Countries like the United States, Japan and South Korea voiced concerns for their security after the DPRK announced the successful launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump said that the DPRK "is a threat, and we will confront it very strongly."

Trump also said he is considering "pretty severe things" in response but didn't elaborate on what they might be.

Meanwhile, Washington has repeatedly called on China to step up pressure on Pyongyang.

US President Donald Trump speaks during an interview on the DPRK. /VCG Photo

Geng said some countries “have been exaggerating and giving prominence to the so-called 'China responsibility theory'”.

He added that this “either shows lack of a full, correct knowledge of the issue, or there are ulterior motives for it, trying to shift responsibility.”

DPRK warned US against further military gambling

The DPRK on Friday warned the US against further military gambling.

A spokesman for the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee said in a statement that, "The US Defense Department is loudly trumpeting a military attack option" advocated by US President Donald Trump to cope with DPRK's "provocations".

DPRK's leader Kim Jong Un reacts after the test-launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14. /VCG Photo

The DPRK said that the US promise that it would not invade "is a whopping lie and a trick to cover up its sinister intention to put its war ambitions into practice through a surprise attack".

US Representative to the UN Nikki Haley said at the UN Security Council that Washington was considering using military force to counter DPRK's nuclear and missile programs.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley speaks at a press briefing on the DPRK issue. /VCG Photo

On Thursday Mr. Trump called the DPRK's ICBM launch as a "shame" during talks with South Korean and Japanese leaders in Germany on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg.

China welcomes Moon's peace initiative

Earlier China said it welcomed South Korean President Moon Jae-in's peace initiative on the Korean Peninsula.

It was reported that Moon tabled the "Korean Peninsula Peace Initiative" last Thursday in Germany, and explained his government's desire to establish permanent peace in the region, saying he would make the area free from the threat of nuclear weapons and war through acknowledgement and respect.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) welcomes South Korean President Moon Jae-in (L) during G20 Leaders' Summit in Hamburg. /VCG Photo

China said it has consistently supported dialogue to improve ties between the DPRK and South Korea, adding that it hopes both countries will commit to reconciliation and cooperation.

(With input from Xinhua)

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