China, which defended North Korea, cites ‘South Korea-U.S. drills’ over North Korean missile test, lectures: ‘Must face the root cause of the problem’

[Financial News] China said that, in connection with North Korea’s tactical ballistic missile cluster-warhead launch test on the 31st of last month, the parties concerned should face the root cause of the Korean Peninsula issue and work for peace and stability, mentioning joint South Korea-U.S. drills.
At a regular briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Beijing on the 2nd, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, “China has noted the relevant reports and has also noted that Joseon (North Korea) has repeatedly stated its position on recent military developments by the U.S. and South Korea (South Korea and the United States).” This was in response to a question from a South Korean reporter: “The test was conducted in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on North Korea and took place while North Korea had yet to respond to South Korea’s proposal for military talks. How does China view this launch?”
Mao said, “We hope the relevant parties will face the root cause of the Korean Peninsula issue, remain committed to the broad direction of a political solution, and work to ease tensions and safeguard regional peace and stability.”
North Korea characterized and condemned the joint exercise by the South Korean and U.S. air forces, ‘Freedom Flag,’ on the 30th of last month as a threat, and did the same on the 2nd with ‘Iron Mace,’ a South Korea-U.S. nuclear-conventional integration (CNI) tabletop exercise (TTX). The ‘South Korea-U.S. military developments’ China referred to are these exercises.
China has long maintained that ‘North Korea’s reasonable security concerns’ also need to be addressed as part of a political solution to the Korean Peninsula issue.
In recent years, China has refrained from expressing any particular position on North Korean missile launches prohibited by UNSC resolutions on North Korea.
However, after North Korea launched a ballistic missile on the 29th of last month, China reaffirmed its ‘political solution’ position for the first time in nine months since January this year, saying, “We hope the parties concerned will face the root cause of the Peninsula issue, remain committed to the broad direction of a political solution, and work to safeguard regional peace and stability.”
Earlier, North Korea’s Missile General Bureau announced on the 1st that it had conducted a ‘test to assess the combat applicability and power of a tactical ballistic missile cluster warhead (cluster munition warhead)’ on the 31st of last month.
The Institute for Ballistic Missile Systems and the Warhead Research Institute, which are under the Missile General Bureau, released the test results and claimed, “A standard Type 2 cluster warhead can devastate a target area of 12–13 jeongbo (about 11.9–12.9 hectares) at an extremely high density.” That is an area equivalent to 18 soccer fields.


[email protected] Lee Seok-woo, international affairs specialist Reporter