In a call with the US President, the Chinese Premier said that his country was resolutely opposed to any action that ran counter to UN security council resolutions.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Chinese President has called for restraint in the rapidly escalating North Korean weapons crisis.
In a call with US President, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping said that China was willing to work with all sides to secure peace, and believed that this could be quickly achieved with all the countries concerned working together. China is worried that mounting tensions will lead to war, and the chaotic collapse its neighbour.
The two leaders also discussed China’s resolute opposition to any actions that ran counter to UN security council resolutions.
China is very much the economic lifeline to North Korea so, while nothing is easy, if they want to solve the North Korean problem, they will
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2017
Fears of North Korean weapons tests
Tensions have risen sharply in recent months amid concerns that Pyongyang might carry out further tests of nuclear missiles, or launch ballistic missiles, in defiance of UN sanctions.
North Korea will celebrate the 85th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean People’s Army this week, and such events have been marked by weapons tests in the past.
Military presence on the Korean peninsualr
Washington has sent a group of US strike carriers into waters off the Korean peninsular as a warning to Pyongyang.
At the weekend North Korea’s increasingly anxious neighbours also announced a growing military presence in the area, with Japan sending two destroyers to join the US carriers for drills, and South Korea talking about possible joint naval exercises.
Japanese involvement
In a call between the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and the US President, the two leaders agreed that North Korea needed to show restraint. The Japanese premier also said that he had agreed with Donald Trump that China, Pyongyang’s only major ally, should play a major role in any solution.