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.
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.
The Chinese navy is currently focused on improving its defence capabilities, therefore paying more attention to developing anti-missile capability.Song to AFP
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.