Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pushed back against the tougher U.S. line on North Korea, reiterating his country’s view that the only way to rein in its reclusive neighbor is through talks.
Wang spoke at a briefing in Beijing with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who in Seoul on Friday refused to rule out a preemptive strike against Pyongyang if the threat from its weapons program was deemed severe enough. While that’s largely in line with prior U.S. positions, Tillerson’s comments — and Twitter posts from President Donald Trump — signal the level of concern over North Korea is rising.
“The most important principle we have identified is that no matter what happens, we have to stay committed to diplomatic means as a way to seek a peaceful settlement,” Wang said on Saturday. “We hope all parties, including our friends from the United States, could size up the situation in a cool-headed and comprehensive fashion and arrive at a wise decision.”
The officials’ comments underscored how the contours of the debate over North Korea haven’t changed — even though Tillerson’s State Department says 20 years of diplomacy to curtail Pyongyang have failed and it’s time for a new approach. China wants the U.S. and North Korea to negotiate directly; the U.S. insists North Korean leader Kim Jong Un make a credible show he’s willing to give up his nuclear program before talks can begin.
In Seoul, Tillerson laid out details of the new U.S. plan, saying it would focus on getting China to better enforce United Nations sanctions against North Korea. He also said the threat posed by the regime was increasing: “Let me be very clear: this policy of strategic patience has ended.”
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