In a recent development, a senior US State Department official has expressed concern over North Korea’s growing arms trade and its potential impact on China.
What happened: Mr. JungThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s top U.S. official stressed that China should be alarmed by North Korea’s deepening ties with Russia, including the transfer of ballistic missiles to Russian forces in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
“The DPRK issue is also China’s issue,” Pak said.
“It’s not just our problem. China has a role to play and has influence.”
He also underlined Washington’s frustration with China’s reluctance to influence North Korea’s behavior, despite being its main supporter.
See also: Trump vs. Biden: Americans are increasingly leaning towards one when it comes to the economy
When asked about potential progress on the North Korea issue due to recent cooperation between the United States and China following the meeting between the President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi JinpingPak said it was “too early to tell.”
Despite the North Korean leader’s recent alarming statements Kim Jong UnPak said there is no evidence of a new, more aggressive attitude toward South Korea. He also expressed support for Japan’s efforts to hold a summit with Kim on the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea.
Because matter: This development comes on the heels of a series of troubling actions by North Korea. In February, the country launched its fourth batch of cruise missiles in two weeks, following Kim Jong Un’s call to step up “war preparations.” This raised concerns and further underlined the urgency of the situation.
However, the United States has attempted to engage diplomatically with North Korea. In a recent move, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan expressed intent to hold a summit with Kim Jong Un to discuss the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea, a move that was supported by the United States
Read next: Former WH lawyer predicts end of immunity case this week as Trump pushes Supreme Court to delay trial
Image via Shutterstock
Designed by Benzinga NeuroBy
Pooja Rajkumari
The GPT-4-based Benzinga Neuro content generation system leverages Benzinga’s extensive ecosystem, including native data, APIs, and more to create rich, timely stories for you. Learn more.