Sanctions Won't Help North Korea Tensions, China Says

A Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson suggested that the U.S. and the United Nations should remove sanctions from North Korea because they are not solving the problem.

The North Korean “issue can only be resolved peacefully through political dialogue,” the spokesperson said during an Oct. 28 press conference, saying that “pressure and sanctions cannot solve any problem.” The spokesperson urged the UN Security Council to consider removing the sanctions.

“The Security Council should, pursuant to provisions of relevant resolutions and taking into account positive progress on the Peninsula, begin discussing invoking relevant provisions to modify sanctions at an appropriate time,” the spokesperson said. He added that China will continue to “play a constructive role” with North Korea.