China Calls On U.S. to Stop Threats and Resume Dialogue with North Korea

Chinese officials urged the Trump administration on Friday to halt its threats of military action against North Korea and rejected the notion, pushed by the president in recent weeks, that China is responsible for helping to resolve escalating tensions with military threats of its own.

“[The US] should refrain from issuing more threats,” said Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the U.S. “They should do more to find effective ways to resume dialogue and negotiation. Honestly, I think the United States should be doing…much more than now, so that there’s real effective international cooperation on this issue.”

Ciu’s remarks came after a press conference given by U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and national security advisor H.R. McMaster, who warned that the U.S. could resort to a military option following North Korea’s latest missile test over Japan.

Haley and McMaster insisted military action is “not what we prefer to do,” but a White House spokesperson repeated the administration’s position that diplomacy is not an option, saying on Friday that “now is not the time to talk to North Korea.”

The U.S. announced its latest round of harsh sanctions on the isolated nation this week, affecting oil, gas, and other exports to North Korea. Kim Jong-un said Saturday that the sanctions will not stop him from continuing to develop the country’s nuclear program in the hopes of achieving “the equilibrium of real force with the U.S. and make the U.S. rulers dare not talk about a military option.”