China remains silent over NKorea's 'failed' missile test

Bs_logoImage
Press Trust of India Beijing
Last Updated : Apr 16 2017 | 8:13 PM IST
China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi today held telephonic talks with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, even as Beijing remained silent over North Korea's 'failed' missile test.
China, which warned two days ago that conflict could break out "any moment" in the Korean peninsula, did not comment on North Korea's missile test but stepped up dialogue with the Trump administration, state-run CCTV reported.
However, no details about the telephone conversation between Chinese State Councillor Yang and Tillerson were released to the media.
China has also cautioned North Korea against going for sixth nuclear test defying US warnings.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last week said the conflict over North Korea could break out "at any moment" and warned there would be "no winner" in any war.
The North Korean missile, which was fired from the Sinpo area, exploded almost immediately, according to military officials in South Korea and the US.
Intelligence agencies in South Korea and the US were attempting to extract more details about the missile, including its exact type.
Lu Chao, director of the Border Studies Institute at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, said the latest test, despite its failure, could be another defiant message from Pyongyang that it will not change its tough stance in the face of US pressure even amid a growing threat of military action.
However, he said the failure showed that Pyongyang missile technology was flawed.
Such a defiant move was likely to draw even more pressure from the US which ordered its nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group to the region, Lu told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
China would also face greater pressure from the US to take further action, including ratcheting up its sanctions against Pyongyang, he added.
Liu Ming, from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said Beijing was unlikely to take further action at this stage unless Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear test or long- term ballistic missile test as Beijing insisted that talks, not military action, were the only solution to the North Korean issues.
"China needs to create conditions and the right atmosphere to draw different parties back to the talks table," Liu said.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Apr 16 2017 | 8:13 PM IST