Anti-Pyongyang sanctions can lead to a dead end: Beijing

China says sanctions alone cannot solve the North Korean nuclear issue as the UN and the US are pushing for fresh bans against Pyongyang following its recent nuclear test.

On Friday, North Korea said it had conducted a successful “nuclear warhead explosion” test, which marked the country’s fifth and biggest nuclear test so far.

Following the test, the United Nations Security Council said it would begin to prepare a new round of sanctions against Pyongyang.

On Sunday, US special envoy Sung Kim said that the US, South Korea and Japan would launch their own sanctions against the North.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Monday that unilateral action can only lead to a dead end.

The diplomat said the crux of the issue lies with United States not China, adding Beijing has made many efforts to uphold peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Japan's Kyodo news agency said on Monday North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong had arrived in Beijing which has called for restraint following the nuclear test.

China’s Foreign Ministry has said it was “firmly opposed” to the test but called for the issue to be resolved through six-party talks. The long-stalled negotiations process chaired by China brings together the two Koreas, Japan, Russia and the United States.

Pyongyang dismissed the new push for sanctions as “laughable” and vowed to continue to “strengthen the national nuclear power in quality and quantity.” 

North Korea has pledged to develop a robust nuclear arsenal to protect itself from the US military, which occasionally deploys nuclear-powered warships and aircraft capable of carrying atomic weapons in the region.

SS