US, North Korea war of words worries China

By Gaurav Sharma

Beijing, Sep 25 (IANS) China on Monday said it is worried about the escalating war of words between the US and North Korea and urged both the countries not to "add fuel to the fire".

Washington and Pyongyang have traded insulting and personal remarks since North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful" nuclear test earlier this month.

"Indeed, the Chinese side is very concerned about the escalating situation of the Koran peninsula," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said here.

"We think the parties should refrain from escalating words and deeds and avoid adding fuel to the fire," Lu said, responding to a question about what China thought of US President Donald Trump's latest remark in which he said North Korea "won't be around much longer".

Trump's latest diatribe came after North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho called him "mentally deranged".

Earlier, Trump called North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un a "rocket man" on a "suicide mission". Kim had hit back, dubbing the US President a "mentally deranged US dotard".

China has urged the US and North Korea to exercise restraint and not vent their emotions. "We think situation remains highly complex and the most pressing concern is fully and strictly implementing the UNSC resolution relating to the Korean peninsula, including the latest one," Lu said.

Besides UN sanctions, the US wants more punitive embargoes on the North for conducting nuclear tests.

China says that sanctions out of the purview of the UN will escalate the situation.

(Gaurav Sharma is the IANS correspondent in Beijing. He can be reached at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com)