North Korea’s latest missile test ‘worries’ China

TIL Desk/World/Beijing-China has expressed serious concern and called for restraint amid tensions in the region following a fresh missile test by North Korea on Wednesday. The South Korean Defence Ministry said in a statement that Pyongyang’s latest missile reportedly exploded after being launched from near Kalma airport in Wonsan city.

“Any unilateral actions for selfish interest will only complicate the situation and will not help achieve their own security,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said. Hua declined to say if the missile test was meant by the Kim Jong-un regime as a threat to the US and China in view of their unified stance against the Pyongyang weapons programme.

Hua advocated China’s proposal to suspend the US-South Korea joint military manoeuvres in exchange for North Korea halting its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. Hua said the proposal deserves serious consideration, adding it was the only way to break the current deadlock in the Korean peninsula.