China ‘not to allow war, chaos on Korean Peninsula’

China says it will not allow the Korean Peninsula to be plagued by war and chaos, amid continuing tensions between the two Koreas.

“As a close neighbor of the peninsula, we will absolutely not permit war or chaos on the peninsula. This situation would not benefit anyone,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said during an international security conference in Beijing on Thursday.

Relations between North and South Korea have been turbulent for years. Seoul and Pyongyang fought a war in the early 1950s, and have been at odds ever since.

Tensions have escalated further recently following the start of joint military exercises by Washington and Seoul.

Xi, who was addressing the fifth Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) hosted by his country, also said that China has “fully and completely” implemented UN sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapon and rocket tests.

He added that China would continue to seek North Korean denuclearization through dialog.

Speculations are that Pyongyang is to conduct another nuclear test in May.

North Korea declared itself a nuclear power in 2005 and carried out four nuclear weapons tests — in 2006, 2009, 2013 and 2016. It also launched a long-range rocket February this year, which Pyongyang said was aimed at placing an earth observation satellite into orbit. However, the US and South Korea denounced the move as a cover for an intercontinental ballistic missile test.​

North Korea says it is strengthening its defense capabilities to protect itself against hostile countries, including the US.

SS