Peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula serves the common interests of all related parties, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday.
Media reported U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Wednesday told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that Washington will defend itself and its allies in response to the latest missile launch by Pyongyang, but the U.S. administration prefers not to use military means.
Meanwhile, Republic of Korea (ROK) President Moon Jae-in insisted problems should be addressed through diplomatic channels, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said any attempts to justify a military decision, taking the Security Council resolutions as excuse, are unacceptable.
These remarks indicated that the denuclearization, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula represent the biggest common interests of all relevant parties, Geng Shuang, spokesperson with the Foreign Ministry, told a daily news briefing on Thursday.
Geng said China opposes the recent missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and strongly urges the DPRK to strictly comply with Security Council resolutions. He called on all parties to keep calm, show restraint and avoid escalating tension on the peninsula.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia on Tuesday, the foreign ministries of the two countries published a joint statement saying military means should not become an option to solve the Korean Peninsula issue.
Based on the "dual-track approach" and the "suspension for suspension" initiative proposed by China and the step-by-step conception by Russia, the statement sets out a joint initiative to solve the issue by addressing both the symptoms and root causes.
"It is objective, fair, reasonable and practical. We hope all relevant parties will work with the Chinese side, play their due roles, shoulder their due obligations and bring the Korean Peninsula issue back to the right track of peaceful dialogue," Geng said.
Ruan Zongze, vice president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the joint statement comes against the backdrop of rising tension on the Korean Peninsula and the "dual-track approach" and the "suspension for suspension" initiative can resolve the crisis.
The "dual-track approach," he said, refers to the denuclearization on the peninsula, and establishing a peace mechanism in Northeast Asia.
On "suspension for suspension," he said the DPRK should suspend its nuclear tests, and the United States and the ROK should stop their joint military drills.
He said the initiative has accommodated the concerns of all parties, paving the way for future communications and negotiations.
