I wish to thank Under-Secretary-General Feltman and Ambassador Cardi for their briefings.

The relevant Security Council resolutions contain explicit provisions on launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea using ballistic missile technology. China expresses its great concern over and its opposition to the latest missile launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We strongly urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions and to cease actions that escalate the tensions on the Korean peninsula.

In the recent past, the overall situation on the peninsula was stable, which provided a window of opportunity for promoting political and diplomatic efforts. Regrettably, that window failed to lead to a resumption of dialogue and negotiations. The Korean Peninsula nuclear issue has continued for more than two decades. During that period, the most valuable experience gained was that when the parties met each other halfway and engaged in honest interaction, there was the possibility of reaching an agreement. And the most important lesson learned was that when the parties adopted a tough stance and misjudged each other, the chances for peace would be missed.

This year, the Security Council has unanimously adopted resolutions 2356 (2017), 2371 (2017) and 2375 (2017). Those resolutions demonstrate the united position of the international community against the development by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea of nuclear and ballistic missile capacities and towards upholding the international non-proliferation regime. At the same time, they underscore the importance of the parties concerned reducing tension on the Peninsula, reiterate the need to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large and express the commitment to seeking a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation, while emphasizing that people’s livelihoods and the humanitarian assistance efforts in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea should not be negatively impacted. In view of the current grave situation on the Korean peninsula, it is imperative for all parties concerned to show restraint, implement comprehensively and strictly the relevant Security Council resolutions, and strive for an early resumption of dialogue and negotiations.

China is always committed to realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability thereon, achieving a settlement through consultation, and opposing war and chaos on the Peninsula. China has worked tirelessly towards this end. China has put forward the suspension-for-suspension proposal, which calls on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to suspend its nuclear and missile activities, and on the United States and the Republic of Korea to suspend large-scale joint military exercises, and the dual-track approach, which promotes parallel progress in denuclearization and the establishment of a peace mechanism on the peninsula. The Russian Federation, too, has put forward the step-by-step conception to the settlement of the issues on the Korean Peninsula. On the basis of the aforementioned proposals, China and the Russian Federation issued a joint statement on 4 July proposing a road map for the settlement of the issues on the Korean peninsula. The joint initiative by China and Russia is practical and feasible and is aimed at promoting the peaceful settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and at maintaining peace and stability there. As such, we hope that it will elicit a positive response and support from the parties concerned.

In the current situation, the Security Council must shoulder its historical responsibility by prompting the parties to take integrated measures to settle problems through peaceful, diplomatic and political means and maintain peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. China will continue to implement the relevant Security Council resolutions in a comprehensive and strict manner and, together with the parties concerned, will continue to play an active and constructive role in seeking an appropriate settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and an early realization of the denuclearization of and long-term peace and stability on the peninsula. China expects that all the parties concerned, in particular the main parties, will make efforts to that end by fulfilling their commitments and playing a constructive role.

China believes that the work of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) should be conducive to the realization of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, the maintenance of peace and stability on the peninsula, and the promotion of dialogue and negotiations among the parties concerned, with a view to finding a solution. The Panel of Experts must act in strict compliance with its mandate and conduct its work on the basis of the principles of objectivity and impartiality and of substantiated evidence. It is China’s consistent view that the Security Council sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea should not negatively impact the relevant humanitarian assistance activities.

(Photo by LI Muzi, Xinhua News Agency)