China warned its troublesome neighbor that it might want to think twice before conducting another nuclear test.
President Donald Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping Wednesday about the “menace of North Korea,” and the two sides agreed to work together to solve the problem on the Korean Peninsula. The president has said, though, that “if China is not going to solve North Korea, we will.” (RELATED: Trump: ‘If China Is Not Going To Solve North Korea, We Will’)
Trump has made it clear the U.S. will use the “full range of military capabilities” to defend itself and its allies while maintaining force would not be a first option.
There is evidence that North Korea may be preparing for a sixth nuclear test, but China, the North’s “friendly neighbor,” is trying to convince Pyongyang to reconsider. A paper known to float Chinese foreign policy ideas suggested Wednesday that North Korea’s present path will not yield the results it desires.
“If Pyongyang conducts its sixth nuclear test in the near future, the possibility of US military action against it will be higher than ever,” the Global Times, a newspaper run by the People’s Daily, the ruling party’s paper, wrote, “Not only Washington brimming with confidence and arrogance following the missile attacks on Syria, but Trump is also willing to be regarded as a man who honors his promises.”
“The US is making up its mind to stop the North from conducting further nuclear tests, it doesn’t plan to co-exist with a nuclear-armed Pyongyang,” the paper explained, “Pyongyang should avoid making mistakes at this time.”
The article also said that Beijing “will not remain indifferent” to North Korea’s nuclear provocations, suggesting that China may pursue sanctions and “severe restrictive measures that have never been seen before.” Pyongyang asserts it needs nuclear weapons to preserve the North Korean state, but others claim that the pursuit of nuclear weapons will be its downfall.
“Pyongyang can continue its tough stance, however, for its own security, it should at least halt provocative nuclear and missile activities,” Global Times warned.
A separate report published Monday on the media platform for the Chinese armed forces stated that North Korea would be wise to avoid letting its nuclear activities negatively impact the security and stability of Northeastern China.
“China has a bottom line that it will protect at all costs, that is, the security and stability of northeast China,” the article explained, “If the bottom line is touched, China will employ all means available including the military means to strike back.” The report said that the military would launch strikes on North Korea’s nuclear facilities. (RELATED: China Might Bomb North Korea If It Crosses Beijing’s ‘Bottom Line’)
“We all know that the DPRK’s sixth nuclear test is imminent, and various parties, especially China, are generally worried about this,” the article commented.
Beijing remains committed to a “peaceful resolution” despite the ramped up rhetoric coming from China.
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