North Korea says war is a “fact” after drills by the U.S. and South Korea: China calls for calm
Chika Mori and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
China is calling for calm between America and North Korea after another war of words. The latest bout of tensions is based on military drills by the armed forces of America and South Korea. However, with each new military drill by America and South Korea that is aimed at North Korea by showing increased prowess – even if military drills are natural under normal circumstances – then, along with North Korea testing missiles over Northern Japan and other regional areas, the fear is that war will start based on a mistake – or based on a clash of enormous misunderstanding. Therefore, China is once more calling for calm and this position is equally supported by the Russian Federation.
In the past, China and the Russian Federation called for all parties to take steps back in order to solve the crisis. This approach was based on all parties taking measures to reduce tensions. Hence, political elites in Beijing and Moscow called for a genuine “double freeze.” For example, China and the Russian Federation specified that North Korea should freeze its missile testing, in return America and South Korea should stop powerful military drills. However, this reasonable approach by China and the Russian Federation is being ignored based on the negative actions of America and North Korea – with South Korea being more open to serious talks, providing political elites in Pyongyang are sincere.
Modern Tokyo Times stated in September, “This double freeze relates to a plan formulated by China and the Russian Federation, whereby related players would abide by conditions that would reduce tensions. In other words, political and military elites in Pyongyang would abide by putting a freeze on its missile tests – while the governments of America and South Korea would relent on major military exercises by imposing a genuine moratorium.”
Sadly, it appears that elements within Washington and Pyongyang are playing a dangerous game of hardball. Yet, while the citizens of North Korea will pay a heavy price if war breaks out, and the same applies to South Korea and most likely Japan will be targeted, the same can’t be said about America outside of military personnel. Therefore, it is imperative that China, Japan, the Russian Federation, and South Korea seek to calm the waters.
Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of China, said, “We hope all relevant parties can maintain calm and restraint and take steps to alleviate tensions and not provoke each other.”
The statement above was ushered by China after North Korea condemned annual military exercises by America and South Korea. Indeed, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of North Korea said the drills are nothing more than “confrontational warmongering” by the upper echelons of America.
Reuters reports, “The annual U.S.-South Korean “Vigilant Ace” exercises feature 230 aircraft, including a range of the U.S. military’s most advanced stealth warplanes, and come a week after North Korea tested its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to date which it says can reach the mainland United States.”
Worryingly, H.R. McMaster, a national security adviser at the White House, indicated that current heightened tensions between America and North Korea mean that the possibility of war is “increasing every day.”
Not surprisingly, China and the Russian Federation are aghast by all parties talking about war – and upping the military ante. Hence, it is essential that America and North Korea start to reduce tensions because the consequences are too dire to imagine – and this notably applies to the citizens of North Korea and South Korea – with Japan also fearing the worse.
http://moderntokyotimes.com/?p=7833
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