US and China Negotiations on Appropriate Response to North Korea

Diplomats said on Tuesday that US and Chinese officials are consulting and negotiating on taking stronger actions by the United Nations Security Council against North Korea's missile tests. According to Reuters, it is still unclear how much China will agree to impose new sanctions against North Korea. The Security Council has imposed sanctions on North Korea in recent years following its nuclear and missile tests. The report states that the UN Security Council began imposing sanctions against North Korea in 2006. American media report that since Donald Trump's administration took office, North Korea has tested 9 ballistic missiles, some of which were unsuccessful. A spokesperson for the US mission to the UN said on Tuesday: "The series of actions North Korea has taken since its last nuclear test obliges us to consider a range of necessary measures to apply pressure on this country." The spokesperson added: "As Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, said on Friday, the approach that everything is normal and usual is not at all on the agenda. We and our colleagues in the UN Security Council are examining options to respond to these provocative actions (by North Korea)." Rex Tillerson had called on the Security Council on Friday to act against North Korea. Reuters reports that the Trump administration has been pressuring Chinese officials to rein in their neighbor and has warned that if North Korea continues to develop its nuclear and missile programs, all options are on the table to counter such an approach. Meanwhile, China believes that military threats do not help resolve the crisis and will lead to increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula. To counter the threat from North Korea, the US has deployed the THAAD missile defense system, which is capable of targeting short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, in South Korea. Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Tuesday, April 12: "China's position is clear and firm. We oppose the deployment of THAAD in [South Korea] and urge the relevant parties to immediately halt the deployment of this system." Mr. Shuang added that "we will resolutely take necessary measures to protect our interests." Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have significantly increased in recent weeks, raising concerns about the potential for the situation to spiral out of control.