China expects new UN consensus on Korean Peninsula nuclear issue

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday before the start of a UN Security Council special ministerial meeting on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue that the meeting is expected to reach new consensus on implementing Security Council resolutions related to the DPRK fully and comprehensively, reducing tension on the peninsula as soon as possible and seeking a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue.

The Korean Peninsula is facing escalating tension and it's necessary for the UN Security Council to have this meeting, Wang said.

The meeting, to be chaired by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, will cover ways to maximize the impact of existing sanctions on Pyongyang and show resolve to respond to further provocations with appropriate new measures, a US State Department spokesman said at a briefing earlier this week.

Wang said China's stance on the peninsula's nuclear issue has been consistent and clear. No matter what happens, we should stick to two basic directions, he said, one is realizing denuclearization of the peninsula and defending international nuclear non-proliferation system, the other is maintaining peninsula peace and stability.

"Solving the peninsular nuclear issue peacefully through dialogue and negotiation is the only practical, right choice," Wang said.

As the DPRK sped up its nuclear and missile programs recently, China supports the international community to step up efforts against nuclear proliferation, he said. China advocates strengthening efforts for peace and dialogue with the escalating tension on the peninsula.

An emphasis on preventing nuclear proliferation and promoting peace and dialogue should be strengthened at the same time, he said.

China has proposed the "two-track approach" as a solution to the peninsula nuclear issue. It calls for simultaneous efforts for the denuclearization process on the peninsula and negotiations to replace the armistice between the North and South with a peace treaty.

As the first step, China proposed "double suspension", meaning a suspension of nuclear activities and missile launches by DPRK, and a halt to large-scale joint war games by ROK and the US.

"This proposal is reasonable and is garnering understand and support from more and more countries. Hopefully, all parties can think about it seriously," Wang said.