China orders Nkorea to halt missile tests

China has called on North Korea to cease its missile tests, a rare warning from the rogue regime’s diplomatic ally after the UN imposed its strongest sanctions in a generation. Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, warned that the new sanctions would result in the North Korean nuclear issue entering “a very critical phase”.

CHINA has urged North Korea to end missile tests, a rare warning from its traditional diplomatic ally after the UN imposed its strongest sanctions in a generation on the rogue regime.

Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, made the demand during a meeting he held with Ri Yong-ho, North Korea’s top diplomat, at a regional political gathering in the Philippines.

Mr Wang did not say how Mr Ri responded during their talks yesterday, a day after the UN unanimously passed a resolution banning North Korean exports and limiting investments in the nuclear armed state.

The Chinese diplomat said he urged Mr Ri: “Do not violate the UN’S decision or provoke the international community’s goodwill by conducting missile launching or nuclear tests.”

Mr Wang also told reporters that “sanctions are needed, but they are not the ultimate goal” as he spoke on the sidelines of the Regional Forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He also warned that the new sanctions would result in the North Korean nuclear issue entering “a very critical phase”.

“We urge all parties to judge and act with responsibility in order to prevent tensions from escalating,” he said, according to China’s national broadcaster CGTN. “The goal is to pull the nuclear issue back to the negotiating table and seek a way out through talks until denuclearisation and peace are achieved on the peninsula.”

The new sanctions could slash North Korea’s $3 billion (£2.3 billion) annual export revenue by a third. It bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood and prohibits countries from hiring additional North Korean labourers.

President Donald Trump praised the resolution as “the single largest economic sanctions package ever on North Korea.” He hailed the fact that the resolution was approved unanimously, meaning that China and Russia abandoned their traditional support.

China is North Korea’s key economic lifeline, but it has strong concerns over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. Beijing also fears the collapse of its neighbour and the millions of refugees that could potentially flood into China’s north-eastern provinces. Officials also worry that US troops could be stationed on China’s border following any potential change of regime.

Mr Trump expressed his frustration that China was not doing enough to pressure North Korea in recent weeks, while there has been suggestions that the US may seek to punish Beijing over trade practices as a means of showing dissatisfaction. Accusations that China had not done enough were heavily criticised by Chinese media and officials but Mr Trump’s administration has been praising the rare united show of force between Beijing, Washington and other global powers at the UN.

Tensions have escalated on the Korean peninsula after Pyongyang carried out two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month. Some experts believe Kim Jong-un’s regime now has the capability to reach US mainland.