After North Korea criticism, China says
wants to be good neighbor
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[May 04, 2017]
BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on
Thursday it wants to be good neighbors with North Korea, after the
isolated country's state news agency published a rare criticism of
Chinese state media commentaries calling for tougher sanctions over the
North's nuclear program.
The United States has urged China, North Korea's only major ally, to do
more to rein in the North's nuclear and missile programs, which have
prompted an assertive response from the Trump administration, warning
that an "era of strategic patience" is over.
A commentary carried by North Korea's KCNA news agency referred to
recent commentaries in China's People's Daily and Global Times
newspapers, which it said were "widely known as media speaking for the
official stand of the Chinese party and government".
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China's position
was consistent and clear.
"China's position on developing friendly, good-neighborly relations with
North Korea is also consistent and clear," Geng told reporters, in
response to a question about the KCNA commentary.
China was unswervingly devoted to the denuclearization of the peninsula
and maintaining peace and security and resolving the issue through
talks, Geng added.
The WeChat account of the overseas edition of the People's Daily, in its
reaction to the KCNA piece, said it was clear that North Korea's nuclear
and missile activities were a threat to China.
"North Korea has not left the Cold War behind and does not want to, and
is enmeshed in a web of its own spinning of antagonism between its
enemies and itself," it said.
China has repeatedly said that while it is happy to help arrange talks,
it is ultimately up to the United States and North Korea to sort out
their differences.
Diplomats say Washington and Beijing are negotiating a possible stronger
U.N. Security Council response - such as new sanctions - to North
Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches in defiance of UN Security
Council resolutions.
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A North Korean flag flies on a mast at the Permanent Mission of
North Korea in Geneva October 2, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File
Photo
The KCNA commentary charged that the Chinese articles had attempted
to shift the blame to Pyongyang for "deteriorated relations" between
China and North Korea and U.S. deployment of strategic assets to the
region.
It also accused China of "hyping up" damage caused by North Korean
nuclear tests to China's three northeastern provinces.
Chinese state media calls for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear
program were "a wanton violation of the independent and legitimate
rights, dignity and supreme interests" of North Korea and
constituted "an undisguised threat to an honest-minded neighboring
country which has a long history and tradition of friendship", KCNA
said.
The United States has sent a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to
Korean waters and a pair of strategic U.S. bombers flew training
drills with South Korea and Japan in another show of strength this
week.
"The reckless military provocation is pushing the situation on the
Korean peninsula closer to the brink of nuclear war," KCNA said on
Tuesday.
Tension on the Korean peninsula has been high for weeks, driven by
concern that North Korea might conduct its sixth nuclear test, also
in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
(Reporting by Michael Martina; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by
Nick Macfie)
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