China warned South Korea and the United States on Thursday not to ‘provoke a confrontation’ with Pyongyang, after the US and South Korean presidents warned that North Korea would expose itself to the ‘end’ of its regime if it used its nuclear arsenal.
“All parties should face up to the crux of the (Korean) Peninsula problem and play a constructive role in promoting a peaceful settlement of the issue,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned. Mao Ning.
She called for not “deliberately inflaming tensions, provoking confrontation and brandishing threats”.
During a summit in Washington with his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol, President Joe Biden warned that “a nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies or partners (…) would cause the end of the regime which decides to undertake such action”.
The two leaders also agreed to significantly strengthen their defense cooperation, including nuclear, and promised to “respond promptly” in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack.
Beijing condemned the move on Thursday, saying Washington ignores regional security and insists on exploiting the peninsula issue to create tension.
“What the United States is doing (…) is causing a confrontation between the camps, undermining the nuclear non-proliferation regime and the strategic interests of other countries,” Mao said.
The US actions, she added, “raise tensions on the peninsula, undermine regional peace and stability, and defeat the goal of denuclearizing the peninsula.”
