China's Strong Protest Against the 'Hypothesis' of Its Responsibility for North Korea

China has strongly criticized the repeated requests from the United States for it to exert more pressure on North Korea, asking Washington to end the 'hypothesis of China's responsibility for North Korea' and emphasizing that all parties should act according to their share of responsibilities. This is the first time China has reacted in such a manner to the issue of responsibility regarding North Korea, referring to it as a 'hypothesis.' In a meeting on Saturday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump spoke in a friendlier tone but expressed his dissatisfaction that Beijing, given its close economic and diplomatic ties with Pyongyang, is not doing enough to control North Korea. This dissatisfaction has particularly increased since North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile test, which some experts believe could enable North Korean missiles to reach Alaska and parts of the U.S. West Coast. However, China and Russia have opposed this theory. Following repeated requests from the U.S., Japan, and other countries for China to increase pressure on North Korea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang stated on Tuesday, July 20, that it is not Beijing that is fueling tensions on the Korean Peninsula and that the solution to this crisis is not in Beijing's hands. He added, without naming any individual or country, that 'recently some individuals have exaggerated and overstated China's responsibility in restraining North Korea in discussions about the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.' The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said, 'I think this action is either the result of a lack of awareness and understanding of this issue or there are hidden motives to place the responsibility on another country.' Regarding military options against missile tests, Nikki Haley, the U.S. representative to the United Nations, stated at a Security Council meeting on July 14 that the U.S. is prepared to use military options against North Korea if necessary; however, it prefers an international diplomatic action regarding North Korea's intercontinental missile tests. In response, the Russian delegation to the UN stated that 'any attempt to justify a military solution' regarding North Korea is 'unacceptable.' The Chinese ambassador to the UN also stated that 'military tools should not be considered as an option.' Last year, North Korea's foreign minister stated that if the U.S. 'stops its nuclear war exercises on the Korean Peninsula,' Pyongyang would also 'stop its nuclear tests.' However, then-President Barack Obama rejected this option, stating, 'A simple promise to stop tests until another time when they want to conduct similar activities again is not serious for us.' China and Russia have gone beyond exercises and have also called for a halt to the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea, a request that was not met with approval from either the Obama or Trump administrations. Nearly 90% of North Korea's foreign trade is conducted with China. Nikki Haley has warned that if this trade violates Security Council resolutions, Beijing will face a response from the United States.