China 'concerned' over Korean Peninsula tensions

RTHK：Video News

Beijing on Thursday said it was "concerned" over the situation on the Korean Peninsula, after Pyongyang said it had test-fired one of its most powerful missiles to boost its nuclear deterrent. The launch was North Korea's first weapons test since being accused of sending soldiers to Russia, with South Korea's military saying that its "initial judgement" was that the projectile may have been a "new solid-propelled long-range ballistic missile". The Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it was "concerned about developments on the [Korean] peninsula". "China... has consistently maintained that preserving peace and stability on the peninsula and promoting the process of political resolution to the peninsula issue aligns with the common interests of all parties," ministry spokesman Lin Jian said. "We hope all parties will make efforts toward this goal," he told a regular press briefing in Beijing. The launch came hours after US and South Korean defence chiefs called on Pyongyang to withdraw its troops from Russia, warning that North Korean soldiers in Russian uniforms were being deployed for possible action against Ukraine. (AFP)