PRESS RELEASE
Chinese Foreign Minister Warns of War Danger in Korean Peninsula
March 8, 2017 (EIRNS)—Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during a press conference on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress, yesterday, warned that events on the Korean peninsula could spin out of control and into war.
"The two sides are like two accelerating trains coming toward each other, and neither side is willing to give way," he said. "Our priority now is to flash the red light and apply brakes." Wang Yi called on South Korea to stop the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system, the first elements of which arrived in South Korea yesterday. "It’s not the way neighbors should behave to each other, and it may very well make the R.O.K. less secure," he said, calling on Seoul to refrain from going too far along the wrong path.
Wang warned that those who pursue the THAAD deployment in South Korea will end up hurting themselves, as well as others.
"China’s suggestion is, as a first step, for North Korea to suspend nuclear and missile activities, and for the U.S. and South Korea to also suspend large-scale military drills,"
Wang said. Such a "dual suspension" would allow all sides to return to the negotiating table, Wang said. "Holding nuclear weapons won’t bring security; using military force won’t be a way out," Wang said. "There remains a chance of resuming talks; there is still hope for peace."
Experts consulted by the Associated Press suggested that Wang’s proposal, which was reportedly put forward without prior consultation with either the United States or Seoul, is aimed at putting pressure on U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who arrives in the region later this month, to discuss, among other things, the North Korean problem. According to a State Department release, Tillerson will arrive in Tokyo on March 15, continue on to Seoul on March 17, and then travel to Beijing on March 18.
