US 'must act to ease peninsula tension'

Washington must shoulder its responsibility to solve the Korean Peninsula issue and review its policies, observers said.

Their call came as Washington and Tokyo meet this week to discuss Pyongyang's latest nuclear test.

The United States should take the major share of blame for rising tensions on the peninsula, and it is time for Washington to adjust its policies toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, said Wang Junsheng, a researcher on East Asian studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Washington's DPRK policy has never been clear since the Cold War ended, Wang said, adding this fuelled Pyongyang's sense of insecurity.

The DPRK conducted a nuclear test on Feb 12 — the third since 2006.

However, Wang added that the test was inappropriate, and given the uncertainty of US policy, Pyongyang should remain calm and observe UN Security Council resolutions rather than increase tension.

Six-Party Talks are the best way to solve the issue and all parties should do their bit, said Liu Jiangyong, a professor of international relations at Tsinghua University.

The House of Rep resentatives passed a resolution on Friday, calling for the US to work with other countries to impose additional sanctions on the DPRK, urging Beijing to pressure Pyongyang to curtail its nuclear programs.

Beijing has said it was "firmly opposed to" and "strongly dissatisfied with" Pyongyang's nuclear test. It has called for negotiations to solve the issue.

Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China, told Xinhua News Agency that the DPRK decided to conduct the nuclear test on the basis of its own interests.

The DPRK is an independent country that decides its own affairs, he said.