#NorthKorea: China’s Security Council vote shows a responsible attitude

China was placed in the limelight after it voted in favour of new sanctions resolution against North Korea in the UN Security Council, writes Liu Junguo from People’s Daily.

"China agrees on the UN’s decision because it conforms to the demands of international law," said Chinese military expert Yin Zhuo on the sidelines of the country’s annual two sessions, refuting western voices doubting China’s sincerity.

"Personally I do not think a war will be waged in the near future," added Yin, also a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

After the UN Security Council voted to impose a broad array of sanctions against North Korea, the world has been tracking on stance of China, as neighbour of North Korea and permanent member of the Council.

Some Western media fanned 'China’s responsibility' on the peninsula nuclear issue as usual. The New York Times, for example, said that "much depends, however, on whether China will enforce it."

But most Chinese people see such 'analysis' as obfuscation, as the country is always responsible and constructive when dealing with international affairs. It also implements UN resolutions resolutely. "We hope that the resolution can be fully and earnestly implemented," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei expressed China’s position at a regular press conference on Thursday 17 March.

China has been playing an irreplaceable role on the North Korea nuclear issue. China has repeatedly stated that it opposes actions that violate the nuclear non-proliferation system and threaten regional peace and stability. At the same time, China stresses that bringing North Korea to the negotiating table is the right way out, and the sanctions are not ends in themselves.

"The resolution issued by the UN Security Council aims to resume the negotiation, which should be viewed as a new start and stepping-stone of the political solution," the commentary published on People’s Daily under the pen name 'Zhong Sheng' further explained China’s viewpoint.

The article also pointed out that the North Korean nuclear issue is rooted in the serious distrust formed in the Cold War times, and the only way to turn the situation around is to restart the Six-Party talk at an early date.

In addition, the possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system by the US in South Korea has aroused more public concerns in the region.

"China opposes the deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system on the Korean peninsula because such an action harms the strategic security interests of China and other countries of the region, goes against the goal of maintaining peace, security, and stability of the peninsula," said Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN, Liu Jieyi.

"[It] will seriously undermine the effort of the international community to seek a political solution to the question of the Korean peninsula," he added.

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