On February 5, 2016 local time, Foreign Minister Wang Yi gave an interview to the media and expounded on China’s position on the situation of the Korean Peninsula during his visit to the Republic of Namibia.

Wang Yi said the current situation of the Korean Peninsula has gradually slipped into a negative cycle, and this trend by no means meets the interests of any party. Since the DPRK conducted nuclear test despite international objections, the UN Security Council will certainly take further measures. At present, all parties are negotiating on this issue so as to form a new resolution. If the DPRK conducted satellite launch using ballistic missile technology, the international community would still disapprove of it, and that would further complicate the situation. However, sanction is never an end in itself. Our goal is to pull all parties back to the negotiating table, as negotiations are the sole right way to solve the issue.

Wang Yi said there is a view that the way of solving the Korean nuclear issue through negotiations will no longer work. This is wrong as just during the eight years since the six-party talks were stalled, the situation of the Korean Peninsula has been increasingly tense and the DPRK has conducted three nuclear tests. It is obvious that the refusal and suspension of the negotiations is the root cause which just results in the current situation. There is even another view that China has not played a due role in solving the issue, which is also inconsistent with the facts. China, as the host country of the six-party talks, has been making efforts in promoting peace talks. I have also personally witnessed the six-party talks, at which time we devoted almost all our energy to bringing the US and the DPRK to talk together, in order to resolve the relevant issues through dialogue. The key to the development of the situation in the future still depends on what kind of political decisions will be made by the US and the DPRK.

Wang Yi said that China will adhere to the established strategies and continue to play the constructive role. The most urgent matter at present is that no parties should take further actions that will provoke the tense situation, so as to prevent the deterioration, or even the uncontrollability, of the situation. All parties shall think deeply about how to play a constructive role in resuming the negotiations, rather than passing the buck, or even seizing on an incident to exaggerate matters to reap profits.