China's envoy says dialogue needed to resolve DPRK nuclear crisis

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) nuclear issue should be resolved through dialogue, said China's envoy, Shi Zhongjun, to UN organisations at a nuclear agency meeting on Wednesday.

The DPRK carried out its latest and most powerful nuclear test on Sept. 3 in disregard of the international community's repeated efforts for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

It also severely violated UN Security Council resolutions, aggravated tension on the Korean Peninsula and undermined regional peace and stability.

On Monday, the UN Security Council (UNSC) unanimously imposed a resolution with fresh sanctions on the DPRK because of its latest nuclear test, which violated previous UNSC resolutions.

Shi Zhongjun, China's permanent representative to the UN and other international organizations in Vienna.

This is the eighth time that the UN has levied sanctions on Pyongyang since 2006, when it carried out its first underground nuclear test.

"It is the firm position of China to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, uphold the non-proliferation regime and maintain peace and stability in Northeast Asia," Shi told a board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The Chinese envoy said China supports the UN Security Council's adoption of a series of resolutions, and has submitted five reports on the implementation of the resolutions on the DPRK to the relevant sanctions committee of the Security Council.

These reports presented detailed information about the tremendous efforts made by China to implement the resolutions.

Ambassadors to the UN vote during a UN Security Council meeting on DPRK in New York City, Sept. 11, 2017.

The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula must be resolved peacefully, and a multifaceted approach must be taken to address the legitimate security concerns of all parties, said Shi, adding that dialogue is the only effective way to solve this issue.

China is willing to work with the international community to implement relevant Security Council resolutions on the DPRK in a comprehensive and complete manner. China also aims to advance the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and firmly maintain peace and stability in the region, Shi said.

"We urge all parties concerned to assume due responsibilities, take effective measures to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula and bring the DPRK nuclear issue back to the track of dialogue as soon as possible," he said.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)