China’s work about NK makes us more upbeat: Germany

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Wednesday that everyone was concerned about an escalation of military violence as part of annual military exercises between South Korea and the US but Chinese pressure on North Korea made him more upbeat.

“Since yesterday we are a bit more optimistic; I think that above all Chinese pressure contributed to the statements from North Korea about definitely putting aside these ideas of fi ring a missile from Guam,” Gabriel said. “He said he would think about it further but it seems that the pressure put on by China worked,” he told reporters, referring to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong- un.

North Korea has made no secret of its plan to develop a missile capable of firing a nuclear warhead at the US to counter what it perceives as constant US threats of invasion.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday concerns about a crisis over North Korea could only be solved by negotiation and she was doing everything possible to achieve a peaceful resolution.

“I am totally against the rhetorical armament that is being used by all sides ... There is no military solution for this confl ict, it must be worked out via negotiations,” Merkel said in a YouTube interview. She said she was pleased that US and Chinese leaders spoke by telephone.

“We must use such means then ... we can avoid a catastrophe and we must do everything possible to do that. I am doing everything I can at least,” she said.

Japanese jets conducted air maneuvers with US bombers in thesouthwest of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday as North Korea considered whether to fi re missiles toward the US- administered territory of Guam.

The exercise in the East China Sea involved two US Air Force B- 1B Lancer bombers fl ying from Andersen Air Force Base on the Pacifi c island of Guam and two Japanese F- 15 jet fi ghters, Japan’s Air Self Defence Force said in a news release.