China and Russia Call North Korea's Missile Test 'Unacceptable'

China and Russia proposed a plan to reduce tensions regarding North Korea, centered on halting nuclear and missile tests by North Korea in exchange for the U.S. and South Korea refraining from large military exercises. According to the Associated Press, the foreign ministries of China and Russia presented this plan following a recent meeting between the leaders of the two countries and North Korea's latest missile test. The height and flight length of this missile exceeded previous tests conducted by North Korea, raising global concerns. The Russian and Chinese governments described this missile test as 'unacceptable.' In their joint statement, the foreign ministries of China and Russia stated that the North Korean government must 'voluntarily decide to stop any nuclear or ballistic missile tests,' while the U.S. and South Korea should 'refrain from conducting large military exercises.' The statement further emphasized that the involved parties should negotiate principles including the non-use of military force and a commitment to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Additionally, the plan stressed that North Korea's 'sensitivities' must be taken into account, and other countries were urged to create a 'peaceful space of mutual trust' to facilitate these discussions. Beijing and Moscow openly criticized the 'military presence of non-regional powers' in Northeast Asia under the pretext of North Korea's nuclear and missile activities. Specifically, they opposed the U.S. missile defense system in the region, claiming its deployment 'seriously harms the security and strategic interests of regional powers, including Russia and China,' undermining peace and stability in the area. The Associated Press added that the Chinese leader's visit to Russia occurs amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington due to the deployment of a U.S. destroyer in waters near Chinese-owned islands in the South China Sea. Prior to arriving in Moscow on Monday, the Chinese president warned Donald Trump that 'some negative factors' are damaging China-U.S. relations. Vladimir Putin praised the Chinese leader as a 'great friend' during the visit and awarded him Russia's highest honorary medal for his efforts to strengthen bilateral relations. The Chinese leader stated, 'Russia-China relations are at their best possible state.' The leaders of China, Russia, and the U.S. will participate in the G20 summit in the coming days, where Putin and Trump will meet and negotiate for the first time on the sidelines of the summit.