A Chinese envoy has called for restraint following the latest launch of a ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
"The situation on the Korean Peninsula remains grave. The top priority for now is for all relevant parties to exercise restraint, to comprehensively and strictly implement relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and to strive for an early resumption of dialogue and negotiations," said Wu Haitao, the charge d'affaires of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
China is gravely concerned and is opposed to the latest missile launch by the DPRK, Wu told the Security Council. "We strongly urge the DPRK to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions and cease actions that would escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula."
In the recent past, the overall situation on the Korean Peninsula remained stable. That provided a window of opportunity for diplomatic efforts. Regrettably, that window failed to lead to the resumption of dialogue and negotiations, he said.
The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula has lasted more than 20 years. The most valuable experience gained is that when the parties moved toward each other and were engaged in virtuous interaction, agreements could be reached as a result. The most important lesson is that when the parties adopted tough stands and misjudged each other, the chance of peace would pass by, said Wu.
This year the Security Council has adopted several resolutions, which have demonstrated the united position of the international community against the DPRK's development of nuclear and ballistic missile capacities, he said.
The resolutions, at the same time, stressed the importance of reducing tension on the peninsula by the parties concerned, reiterated the necessity of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia as a whole, and committed parties to seeking a solution through peaceful, diplomatic and political means while emphasizing that people's livelihood and humanitarian assistance efforts in the DPRK should not be negatively impacted, said Wu.
China always stands for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peace and stability on the peninsula. China has consistently advocated dialogue and negotiations as a means to achieve a settlement, and opposed conflict and chaos on the peninsula, he said.
The suspension-for-suspension proposal and dual-track approach put forward by China and the idea of step-by-step approach proposed by Russia formed a roadmap for the settlement of the issue. The roadmap is practical and feasible, he said, asking the relevant parties for positive response and support.
The idea of dual-track approach involves parallel efforts to move forward both denuclearization and the establishment of a peaceful mechanism on the peninsula; the initiative of suspension-for-suspension calls for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities and for the United States and South Korea to suspend their large-scale war games.
In the current situation, the Security Council should shoulder its historic responsibility of prompting parties to take integrated measures to settle problems through peaceful, diplomatic and political means and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, said Wu.
China will continue to implement the relevant Security Council resolutions comprehensively and in their entirety, and together with the parties concerned continue to play an active and constructive role in seeking an appropriate settlement of the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula and an early realization of the denuclearization and long-term peace and stability on the peninsula, he said. "China expects that all the parties will make their own efforts to this end by honoring their commitments in a constructive manner."
