China ‘should stay neutral if North Korea attacks US, but will stop Trump if he strikes first’
Nationalist tabloid linked to Communist Party urges Beijing to defend China’s interests as White House continues to escalate tensions
If North Korea launches an attack that threatens the United States then China should stay neutral, but if the United States attacks first and tries to overthrow North Korea’s government China will stop them, a Chinese state-run newspaper said on Friday.
President Donald Trump ratcheted up his rhetoric toward North Korea and its leader on Thursday, warning Pyongyang against attacking Guam or American allies after it disclosed plans to fire missiles over Japan to land near the US Pacific territory.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said urged the US and North Korea to be “cautious” with their words and actions after the two sides stepped up their bellicose rhetoric over Pyongyang’s weapons programme.
In a statement, Geng said the two nations should seek to “ease tensions”.
China, North Korea’s most important ally and trading partner, has reiterated calls for calm during the current crisis. It has expressed frustration with both Pyongyang’s repeated nuclear and missile tests and with behaviour from South Korea and the United States that it sees as escalating tensions.
The state-runtabloid Global Times, which is published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, wrote in an editorial that Beijing was not able to persuade either Washington or Pyongyang to back down.
