12 September 2016•Update: 17 September 2016
By Mahmut Atanur
BEIJING
China’s foreign ministry has called on the United States to take “due responsibility” for the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang conducted its fifth nuclear test.
Spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters Monday that the conflict between the U.S. and North Korea was the essence of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.
State news agency Xinhua also quoted her as warning that “blindly” mounting pressure would lead to a “bounce-back” that would only turn the nuclear issue to "a firm knot".
The remarks came after U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter called for increased pressure on Pyongyang after its latest atomic detonation Friday -- the reclusive state's most powerful to date.
Analysts generally view the influence of North Korea’s old ally China as offering a degree of protection from any punishment that could cause the collapse of Pyongyang’s leadership -- which is facing even tougher sanctions from the United Nations Security Council.
A statement released by the North’s foreign ministry Sunday said the country had been forced to develop nuclear warheads due to what it described as the decades-long nuclear threat posed by the U.S.
The Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman insisted Monday that Beijing had been relentless in its efforts to maintain peace and stability on the peninsula and to work against nuclear proliferation.
Hua also warned that sanctions alone would not provide a resolution, and that any unilateral action based on self-interest could lead to a “dead end” that would “only aggravate the tension”.
Nearly 30,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea, which has agreed to the deployment in the country of a new American anti-missile system known as THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) -- a move opposed by China.
