PRESS RELEASE
China, Russia Continue To Push for Dialogue with North Korea
Sept. 8, 2017 (EIRNS)—China and Russia are both continuing to organize for continued dialogue with North Korea, even in the face of pressure from the U.S., South Korea and Japan for even more punitive measures in the aftermath of the Sept. 3 nuclear test. U.S. President Donald Trump, himself, expressed the view Sept. 7, that military action is "not inevitable" nor is it a good option. "I would prefer not going the route of the military," Trump said, speaking after a meeting with the Emir of Kuwait, "If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea."
President Vladimir Putin said in Vladivostok yesterday,
"We hope it will not come to a conflict with the use of weapons of mass destruction in Northeast Asia. There are possibilities to achieve the settlement of Pyongyang’s problem by diplomatic means. This is possible and must be done."
Also on Sept. 7, in a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Xi Jinping emphasized that the ultimate settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula can only be achieved by peaceful means. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also stressed that there must be dialogue with North Korea, even as the sanctions continue.
"Given the new developments on the Korean Peninsula, China agrees that the UN Security Council should make a further response and take necessary measures,"
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told journalists, reported Reuters.
"Any new actions taken by the international community against the D.P.R.K. should serve the purpose of curbing the D.P.R.K.’s nuclear and missile programs, while at the same time be conducive to restarting dialogue and consultation,"
he said.
Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov told TASS in Vladivostok, yesterday, that both Russia and China believe that sanctions have reached a dead end.
"Any steps in that direction would mean stifling North Korea’s economy. That will primarily affect ordinary citizens, the country’s population,"
he said.
"Therefore, we believe that there is no alternative to the peaceful solution path, and we must follow this path, convey this proposal to the North Korean leadership and persuade it to maintain dialogue."
Military tensions, meanwhile, continue to be stoked. As of Sept. 7, the six-THAAD anti-missile battery was fully installed in South Korea—a deployment completely opposed by China. This comes amidst rumors and warnings that North Korea, celebrating its Founders Day Sept. 9, may fire off another test missile.
As for what a new UN Security Council resolution would look like, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, yesterday, that discussions are underway but it’s too early to draw an conclusions. Nonetheless, the New York Times, stoking conflict, reports that a U.S. draft resolution is being circulated. According to the Slimes, it includes an oil embargo, and also includes a provision that would allow U.S. Navy ships to stop and board North Korean commercial vessels in order to inspect them to determine whether they are carrying weapons material or fuel into the country, and use "all necessary measures" to enforce compliance. The draft would also ban the shipment of all crude oil, refined petroleum and natural gas to North Korea,
"essentially seeking to plunge a country of 25 million people into a deep freeze this winter if its leaders fail to begin giving up their nuclear weapon and missile programs."
Elements of this are unacceptable to either Russia or China.
