[국제]North Korea’s first strategic provocation in five years… How has China’s attitude changed?

China to “damage North Korea’s NPT… Full implementation of Security Council resolutions” in 2017
UN Security Council convened… China and Russia expected to oppose sanctions against North Korea
North Korea fired five SRBMs… China blames the US

[앵커]

In response to North Korea’s resumption of strategic provocations for the first time in five years, China is only taking a principled position that it should be resolved through dialogue.

Earlier, for the firing of short-range ballistic missiles, the North Koreans were rather focused and blamed on the United States.

What was it like five years ago?

This is Beijing Correspondent Kang Jeong-gyu.

[기자]

North Korea has fired missiles across Japan’s skies seven times.

Three of them were very similar strategic taunts.

First, two live-fire shots of the Hwasong-12 in August and September 2017.

At the time, China severely criticized North Korea for undermining the international community’s nuclear non-proliferation system (NPT).

He then made it clear that he would fully implement the UN Security Council resolutions.

[왕이 / 중국 외교부장 (2017년 8월 30일) : (북한의 행위는) 유엔 안보리 결의 위반입니다. 중국은 NPT 체계와 지역의 평화·안정 수호를 위해 명확한 반대를 표명합니다.]

However, regarding the missile launch, which has been repeated for the first time in five years, only the principled position that it should be resolved through dialogue was presented.

This is why it has been said that China will oppose sanctions against North Korea even if the UN Security Council is convened.

Earlier, North Korea’s five short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) launches were blamed on the United States’ multiple joint drills, and the North Koreans were skeptical.

[마오닝 / 중국 외교부 대변인 (지난달 30일) : 한반도 문제가 지금에 이른 건 북한의 합리적인 안보 우려에 적절한 응답을 듣지 못했기 때문입니다.]

This change in China’s attitude can be interpreted as being conscious of the increasingly fierce competition for hegemony with the United States while at the same time strengthening North Korea ahead of President Xi Jinping’s coronation.

Above all, in August, during a large-scale containment exercise called a rehearsal for armed unification, China also fired a ballistic missile through the airspace of Taiwan.

My name is Jeonggyu Kang from YTN in Beijing.

YTN Kang Jeong-gyu ([e-mail])

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