China Holds Military Drill Days After North Korea’s Nuclear Test
On Sunday, North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear testing.
China conducted military drills in seas adjacent to the Korean peninsula on Wednesday days after Pyongyang triggered global alarm with its most powerful nuclear blast to date, claiming to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.
On Monday, South Korea had said that the Kim Jong-un led North Korea is ready to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile any day. An emergency UN Security Council meeting was also convened to discuss the actions of Pyongyang.
The Kremlin in Russia asserted that North Korea's latest nuclear test creates a serious threat to peace and security in the region. Meanwhile, China's UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi urged North Korea to "stop taking actions that are wrong".
At the BRICS Summit, all member nations deplored North Korea’s nuclear test.
- North Korea is preparing to launch ICBM, according to South Korea
- An emergency UN Security Council meeting was convened to discuss North Korea’s actions
- US Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is “begging for war”
- China’s UN Ambassador urged North Korea to “stop taking actions that are wrong”
- Russian President Vladimir Putin said more sanctions on North Korea could lead to “large-scale human suffering”
- BRICS nations deplored North Korea’s nuclear testing
- China found no radioactive material at border with North Korea
China's Air Force Conducts Military Drills
China's air force conducted military drills in seas adjacent to the Korean peninsula, an official report has said, as tensions soared over North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weaponry.
The defence battalion simulated warding off a "low- altitude, surprise" attack off China's east coast, and practised defending against "nuclear and biological weapons", according to China Military Online, the news website of the Chinese army.
The purpose of the drill in the Bohai Gulf early Tuesday was not immediately clear.
Song Zhongping, an independent defence and foreign affairs analyst, said the drill was likely unrelated to the situation on the Korean peninsula.
Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular news briefing in Beijing today that he had no information on the drill.
British PM May to Speak to Trump on North Korea
British Prime Minister Theresa May will speak to U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss North Korea, her spokeswoman said, after it conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test two days ago.
"She is due to speak to President Trump shortly," her spokeswoman told reporters, adding that May also planned to speak to French President Emmanuel Macron about North Korea.
Earlier, a British minister summoned the North Korean ambassador to the foreign ministry to condemn the test on 3 September.
Putin to Meet S Korean President on 6 Sept
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday to discuss the escalating crisis in North Korea, said a Kremlin spokesperson.
Merkel, Abe Want Tougher Sanctions Against North Korea
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister spoke by telephone on Tuesday and agreed that sanctions against Pyongyang should be stepped up in response to North Korea's nuclear test, a spokesman for the German government said.
"She agreed with Prime Minister Abe that North Korea's latest nuclear test threatened the security of the entire world and that this massive violation of the U.N. Security Council's resolution must result in a resolute reaction from the international community as well as tougher sanctions," spokesman Steffen Seibert said.
Merkel and Abe agreed that increased pressure on North Korea should make Pyongyang more willing to agree to a peaceful solution and that China and Russia had a key role to play in that, Seibert added.
Russia Feels US's Push for UNSC Vote on N Korea is Premature
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Tuesday that a U.S. aim for the United Nations Security Council to vote on Monday on new sanctions on North Korea over its latest nuclear test is “a little premature.”
“I don’t think we’ll be able to rush it so fast,” Nebenzia told reporters.
France Warns Europe Could Soon Be in North Korea's Range
France's defence minister warned on Tuesday that North Korea could develop ballistic missiles that reach Europe sooner than expected. "The scenario of an escalation towards a major conflict can not be discarded," Florence Parly said in a speech to the French military.
"Europe risks being within range of (North Korean President) Kim Jong Un's missiles sooner than expected," she said.
North Korea Warns That "More Gift Packages" on Way to US
North Korea said on Tuesday it had addressed a recent "gift package" to the United States and that more would follow.
Han Tae Song, the ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the UN in Geneva, was addressing the UN-sponsored Conference on Disarmament two days after his country detonated its sixth and largest nuclear test.
"The recent self-defence measures by my country, DPRK, are a gift package addressed to none other than the US," Han told the Geneva forum.
"The US will receive more gift packages from my country as long as its relies on reckless provocations and futile attempts to put pressure on the DPRK," he said
Putin Warns of Global Catastrophe
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that imposing tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear missile programme would not change the leadership in Pyongyang, but could lead to large-scale human suffering.
Putin, speaking after a BRICS summit in China, also warned against further ramping up military hysteria around North Korea, saying that could lead to a “global catastrophe”.
China May Be Open to More N Korea Sanctions
South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Tuesday said that she feels her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, is open to additional sanctions on North Korea after the two discussed the North’s sixth nuclear test.
“I cannot tell you exact details as the minister asked me not to disclose the content of our discussion, but I could sense that China could be open to more sanctions,” Kang told lawmakers in parliament, referring to her phone call on Monday.
N Korea Seen Moving ICBM-Grade Rocket Towards West Coast: Report
North Korea has been observed moving what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile towards its west coast, South Korea’s Asia Business Daily reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified intelligence source.
South Korea's defence ministry said they were unable to confirm the contents of the report. The ministry said in parliament on Monday that North Korea was considered ready to launch more missiles, including ICBMs, at any time.
South Korea Ready to "Hit Back"
South Korea’s navy held major live-fire drills on Monday to warn the North against any provocations at sea, it said, two days after Pyongyang’s biggest nuclear test to date.
The drills, conducted in the East Sea (Sea of Japan), involved the 2,500-tonne frigate Gangwon, a 1,000-tonne patrol ship and 400-tonne guided-missile vessels, among others, the Navy said in a statement.
“If the enemy launches a provocation above water or under water, we will immediately hit back to bury them at sea,” Captain Choi Young-chan, commander of the 13th Maritime Battle Group, said in a statement.
Trump Agrees "In Principle" to Scrap S Korean Warhead Weight Limit
Trump agreed "in principle" to scrap a warhead weight limit on South Korea's missiles in the wake of North Korea's sixth nuclear test, the White House said on Monday.
During a call with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Trump also gave "conceptual approval" for South Korea to buy billions of dollars of weapons from the United States, the White House said in a statement.
Separately, South Korea's presidential office said the two leaders had agreed to scrap the weight limit and to apply the strongest sanctions and pressure on North Korea through the United Nations.
Merkel, Trump Speak Over the Phone
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Trump spoke over the phone and condemned North Korea's nuclear test, a German government spokesman said.
"Both agreed that the test of a hydrogen bomb means a new and unacceptable escalation by the North Korean regime," Steffen Seibert said in a statement after they spoke by telephone.
For her part, Merkel told Trump that Germany would push for tougher sanctions against North Korea by the European Union, Seibert said, adding, "The aim is to dissuade North Korea from its violations of international law and to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict."
Watch: Nikki Haley Addressing The UN Security Council Meet
Putin Condemns North Korea's Nuclear Test
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the North Korea crisis with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in by phone.
Both condemned North Korea over its latest nuclear test, with Putin asserting that the only way to resolve the crisis was through diplomacy and talks, the Kremlin said.
The Kremlin has asserted that North Korea's latest nuclear test creates a serious threat to peace and security in the region.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also told reporters on a conference call that it was easy for countries outside the region to talk of the possibility of a war with North Korea, but suggested other countries should be more cautious in their language.
'Will Circulate a New Security Council Resolution on N Korea This Week': Nikki Haley
The US envoy to the United Nations said the United States plans to circulate a new resolution on North Korea this week and wants a vote next week by the Security Council.
Ambassador Nikki Haley said the United States would engage in negotiations this week on the resolution and said North Korea "has slapped everybody in the face" with its latest nuclear test.
N Korea Issue Can Only Be Solved Through Diplomatic Channels: Russian Envoy
Addressing the Security Council, Russia's UN Envoy Vassily Nebenzia said that the North Korea issue can only be solved through diplomatic channels, "including by leveraging mediation efforts of the UN Secretary General" .
China Urges N Korea to 'Stop Taking Actions That Are Wrong'
China's UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi has urged North Korea to "stop taking actions that are wrong" and called on all parties to "seriously consider" Beijing's proposal for a joint suspension of Pyongyang's ballistic missile and nuclear programmes and military drills by the United States and South Korea.
US Calls For UN to Impose Strongest Measures on N Korea
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Monday it was time for the UN Security Council to impose "the strongest possible measures" on North Korea over its sixth and largest nuclear test because "enough is enough."
Haley said the incremental sanctions approach of the 15-member council to North Korea since 2006 had not worked and she described North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "begging for war."
UN Chief Calls For 'Appropriate Action' on North Korea
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "counts on the Security Council to remain united and take appropriate action" on North Korea, his political affairs chief, Jeffrey Feltman, said on Monday, responding to Pyongyang’s sixth nuclear test.
Feltman warned the 15-member Security Council that "as tensions rise, so does the risk of misunderstanding, miscalculation and escalation."
Clumsy Steps Could "Lead to an Explosion"
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on 4 September that any clumsy steps regarding North Korea could make the situation worse and there needs to “restraint” in dealing with the country.
“Those who are stronger and smarter should show restraint,” Ryabkov told reporters at a BRICS summit in China. “Any clumsy step could lead to an explosion.”
No Radioactive Material Found
China has said that no radioactive material was detected at the border after North Korea conducted a nuclear test on on 3 September.
North Korea Preparing for IB Missile Attack: South Korea
On 4 September, South Korea got to know that North Korea was preparing the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a day after it conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear testing, Bloomberg reported.
The acting chief of the Defence Ministry’s policy planning office, Chang Kyung-soo, said North Korea was preparing for a missile launch but did not give a time frame for it.
Tremors were detected in North Korea on 3 September, raising fears that the Kim Jong-un-led nation had conducted another nuclear test. Subsequently, Pyongyong said it had successfully tested an advanced hydrogen bomb.
BRICS Members Deplore North Korean Nuclear Test
“(BRICS) strongly deplores North Korea's nuclear test, but the problem over its nuclear programme should only be settled through peaceful means and dialogue,” the countries said in a draft communique seen by Reuters on 4 September.
The draft communique, expected to be issued at a BRICS meeting in China, also called upon all countries to fully implement the Paris Climate Agreement.
US Considers Global Trade Embargo on North Korea
The nuclear test came after North Korean defence officials said the country had developed an advanced hydrogen bomb that possesses “great destructive power”. Following this, US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe talked via phone about the escalating nuclear crisis.
US President Donald Trump said on Twitter on Sunday that the United States was considering cutting trade to any country doing business with North Korea.
South Korea to Temporarily Deploy Four Remaining THAAD Launchers
South Korea on 4 September said it would temporarily deploy four remaining launchers for a US THAAD missile defence system after the completion of an environmental assessment by the government.
Some construction would be carried out to deploy the four launchers at the site in Seongju, south of Seoul, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
There are currently two launchers at the location, a former golf course. The ministry did not specify when the launchers would be moved to the site.
China, Japan Slam Nuclear Test
China's Foreign Ministry on Sunday urged North Korea to stop its "wrong" actions, after Pyongyang said it successfully tested an advanced hydrogen bomb.
The ministry said in a statement on its website that China resolutely opposed and strongly condemned North Korea's actions, and urged the country to respect UN Security Council resolutions.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga too that sanctions options against North Korea in the wake of that country’s nuclear test include restrictions on oil-products trade.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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