China backs ‘further response’ to DPRK

Beijing supports the United Nations Security Council in “making a further response” to the latest and largest nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in September, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

“China is resolutely opposed to the DPRK’s nuclear tests,” Geng Shuang told a regular news briefing in Beijing. Geng reiterated China’s stance on realizing denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, safeguarding its peace and stability and resolving issues through dialogue and negotiation.

Geng made the comments in response to foreign news agencies’ reports on Wednesday that the United States and China had agreed on new UN sanctions against Pyongyang.

“It is our understanding that the Security Council members are now in consultation on a relevant draft resolution,” Geng said.

On Wednesday, an unnamed senior Security Council diplomat was quoted by Reuters as saying that the proposed resolution was recently given to the remaining three permanent council members with veto powers — Britain, France and Russia.

Wang Junsheng, a researcher of Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said he believed the latest resolution will be tougher than previous resolutions that the body has approved in an effort to curb the DPRK’s nuclear and missile programs.

It will probably include new items for sanctions, Wang added.