China: Washington Should Stop Shouting ‘Empty Slogans’
Washington should develop an appealing plan for dialogue with North Korea instead of repeating “empty slogans,” as the sides need to boost mutual trust, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Wednesday.
The remark came in response to Washington’s recent statement that the US Administration was ready to meet with North Korean officials without preconditions, but that Pyongyang had not responded to direct contacts proposal so far.
“Under the current circumstances, the key to breaking the stalemate and restarting dialogue is taking seriously and resolving the DPRK’s legitimate concerns. The US should avoid repeating empty slogans, but rather show its sincerity by presenting an appealing plan,” Hua told a briefing.
The rollback terms of the UN Security Council’s resolutions related to North Korea should be invoked as soon as possible, the diplomat said, adding that it is necessary to make adjustments to relevant sanctions, especially those pertaining to humanitarian and livelihood aspects.
“No matter how the situation evolves, China holds that parties should exercise restraint, meet each other halfway, build mutual trust, and settle the issue through dialogue and consultation,” Hua said.
The recent missile launches by North Korea only added to tensions, with Washington condemning them as destabilizing to the region.
The dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang hit a deadlock since the failed top-level summit in Hanoi in February 2019, during which former US President Donald Trump demanded more decisive steps from Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. North Korea, in turn, accused the United States of failing to fulfill prior commitments.
