Beijing’s stance on Korean issue remains consistent

Beijing has reiterated its clear and consistent stance on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue following Washington’s “irresponsible” remark that China had changed its attitude, influencing the future of negotiations with Pyongyang on the issue.

On Friday, United States President Donald Trump canceled US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s planned trip to Pyongyang, partly accusing China of not helping with the process of denuclearization of the peninsula because of bilateral trade tensions.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement on Saturday that the remarks “went against basic facts and were irresponsible”, adding that China strongly protested the remarks with the US.

“For many years, China has made unremitting efforts to and played an important and constructive role in pushing for the proper solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue,” he said.

China has always comprehensively and strictly implemented United Nations Security Council resolutions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is obvious to all, Lu said.

He said China supports the US and the DPRK in actively advancing the process of political settlement of the issue according to the consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders in Singapore.

However, he added, all parties should stick to the direction of political settlement and show more sincerity and flexibility, instead of being fickle or laying blame on others.

“China will stay in close communication with the relevant parties and play a positive role in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and lasting peace and stability in Northeast Asia,” he added.

Pompeo was scheduled to visit Pyongyang next week together with the newly appointed special envoy to the DPRK, Stephen Biegun. It would have been Pompeo’s fourth trip to the country.

Reuters quoted a White House official as saying that Trump himself was still open to another meeting with DPRK leader Kim Jong-un in hopes of advancing the process, but that he was not pleased with the latest signals from the DPRK.

Wang Junsheng, an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the criticism of China is groundless and demonstrates that Trump lacks sufficient understanding of the nature of the nuclear issue and China’s policy toward it.

It is a wishful thinking to blame others instead of reflecting on one’s own responsibility, he said.

Da Zhigang, a researcher of northeast Asian studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, said that linking the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue with the trade friction is self-deception.