China concerned with rising tensions on Korean peninsula

The Chinese envoy to the Korean Peninsula called on all parties to stay cool-headed and exercise restraint, expressing concern over North Korea’s recent escalation of tensions with various missile tests.

Beijing is concerned about the tense situation on the Korean peninsula, China’s Korean affairs envoy said as he arrived for talks in Seoul this week, adding that both the symptoms and root cause of tensions needed to be addressed, Reuters reported.

Amid stalled de-nuclearisation talks, North Korea has conducted a flurry of weapons tests this year, from hypersonic missiles to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), Reuters reported.

North Korea had not conducted an ICBM or nuclear weapons test since 2017. Officials in Seoul and Washington say there are signs of preparations for a new nuclear test.

The “legitimate and reasonable concerns of all parties” need to be acknowledged for there to be a political settlement, Liu Xiaoming, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Korean Peninsula Affairs, told reporters at Seoul’s airport late on Sunday.

“We call on all parties to stay cool-headed and exercise restraint, and we disapprove (of) actions by any party that could escalate tension,” he said in a summary of his remarks on Twitter.

In his first visit to South Korea since taking office in April 2021, Liu is due to meet his South Korean counterpart, nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk, on Tuesday.

He may also meet representatives of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, who takes office on May 10, according to the Yonhap news agency.

The issues on the peninsula can be resolved politically and China will continue to play a “positive role,” Liu said.

Beijing has expressed concern about tensions on the Korean Peninsula as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last week issued an order to further strengthen the country’s military, saying its nuclear mission goes beyond deterrence.