Nations urged by analysts to ease tensions on peninsula

Nations involved in the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue should do what they can to de-escalate tensions and avoid a military conflict caused by miscalculation, analysts said on Sunday.

The analysts said those nations should realize the necessity of solving the issue in a peaceful manner acceptable to all.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed a dual-track approach of dealing with the peninsula’s nuclear issue when attending a special United Nations Security Council ministerial meeting in New York on Friday.

“We must stay committed to the goal of denuclearization,” he told representatives from all members of the Security Council.

“All parties should comprehensively understand and fully implement DPRKrelated Security Council resolutions,” he said.

Wang urged “all parties to remain calm and exercise restraint and avoid provocative rhetoric or actions that would lead to miscalculation”.

According to the Republic of Korea’s military, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea launched a ballistic missile on Saturday, which apparently exploded seconds after liftoff.

A commentary published in People’s Daily on Sunday said Pyongyang’s development of nuclear weapons is putting itself and the whole region under extremely unsafe circumstances.

It warned that Pyongyang should go no further in the wrong direction by launching missiles, conducting nuclear tests only to receive more sanctions.

“Threatening and confrontation are more than enough concerning the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, however, what the countries and people in the region really need is peaceful and rational voices,” the commentary said.

“Only when all related parties conscientiously shoulder their responsibilities and act in the correct way, can the issue be solved and denuclearization be realized on the peninsula as soon as possible.”

Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences, said China, which neighbors the DPRK, is dedicated to helping those on both sides of the issue through mediation.

“However, if Pyongyang continues its nuclear weapon program and Washington and its allies insist on heavy pressure, they risk leading the region into conflicts and even war,” he said.

“The key to solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula does not lie in the hands of the Chinese side, and only those who started the trouble could help end it,” he added.

Yu Shaohua, a researcher of Korean Peninsula studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said efforts to prevent the situation from deteriorating should be balanced, with all related parties playing their proper roles.

“Otherwise, the room for peaceful negotiations will be limited and the possibility of going to extremes and conflicts will rise,” she said.

The key to solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula does not lie in the hands of the Chinese side.” Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences