On Thursday, China maintains its stand that the country’s proposal for easing the tensions on the Korean Peninsula was the “only feasible plan.” China also challenged the United States to come up with a better plan.
Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi appealed to North Korea for the suspension of its nuclear and missile activities over the cease of U.S. and South Korea military exercises. The intent is to prevent a dangerous confrontation between the countries.
However, the Washington has rejected Beijing’s proposal. On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has signaled a harder U.S. line. In his visit to Tokyo, he said that diplomatic efforts to restrict North Korea over the past two decades had been unsuccessful.
"Under the current circumstances, we believe that (China's proposal) is the only correct, rational, feasible plan so far," said Hua Chunying, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman.
"If the U.S. or another country has a better plan, a better proposal, they can bring it out,” she added, challenging the U.S.
"As long as the proposal is conducive to reducing the current tensions, and to bringing the relevant parties back to dialogue and negotiation in order to resolve the Korean nuclear issue, we will have an open and constructive attitude," the foreign ministry spokesman said.
Hua’s statement was given almost at the same time that Tillerson gave his position in Tokyo. Thus, it is not certain whether the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman’s statement was a direct response to that of the U.S. Secretary of State.
Tillerson is on an Asian tour, scheduled to bring him to Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing. In Japan, he said that "a new approach" was needed in dealing with Pyongyang. He also said China has to participate in bringing its unpredictable neighbor, North Korea, under control.
China is possibly the only country with significant influence over North Korea. The former has snubbed a number of rounds of United Nations-backed sanctions aimed its banned weapons program.
North Korea’s nuclear test last September and the missile launches earlier this month has caused an alarm within the region. The said activities are forbidden according to United Nations resolutions.
The world is hoping that the tensions on the Korean Peninsula will end in the near future.