China: Military action 'not an option' in DPRK issue

 Liu Jieyi, Chinese Ambassador to the UN (photo by CGTN)

China told the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday that military action was "not an option" for addressing the issue of the nuclear and missile program of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), at a time the US put the military option on the table as diplomatic remedies are "quickly" narrowing down.

"China has always been firmly opposed to chaos and conflict on the Korean Peninsula. Military means must not be an option in this regard," Chinese Ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi said during the emergency session of the council on Pyongyang's missile launch on Tuesday – the latest in a series of tests whose frequency has taken up speed in recent months.

The DPRK launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Sea of Japan on Tuesday morning, saying it would fundamentally terminate the threat and intimidation of nuclear war from the US and secure the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula and the region.

The move raised condemns from nations.

The US led a push at the UNSC for tougher sanctions on the DPRK, while warning the isolated regime's launch of an ICBM had drastically narrowed the path for diplomacy.

In a hard-hitting address to the council, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the ICBM test had made "the world a more dangerous place," and that Washington was ready to use force if need be to deal with the threat of the nuclear-armed Pyongyang.

While Pyongyang's actions were "quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution," Haley said "there remains more that the international community can and must do, diplomatically and economically."

(With inputs from Xinhua and AFP)