China concerned about Korea tensions
March 21, 2016, 12:36 pm

Kim Jong Un has promised to carry out a test of a nuclear warhead later this year [Xinhua]

“We hope North Korea does not do anything to contravene UN Security Council resolutions. We also hope all sides can remain calm and exercise restraint and avoid doing anything to exacerbate confrontation or tensions,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday.

South Korean officials confirmed that Pyongyang fired five “unidentified” short-range missiles.

This is the fourth firing of missiles in three weeks, in violation of UN Security Council resolution.

On Friday, North Korea fired a medium-range missile into the sea.

Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un promised that he would soon test a nuclear warhead and ballistic missiles capable of carrying such a load.

The increased belligerent rhetoric comes after the UN Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 2270, which slaps new sanctions on Pyongyang after it carried out two nuclear tests in January and February.

Resolution 2270 says:

The Council decided that all States should inspect cargo within or transiting through their territory — including airports, sea ports and free trade zones — that was destined for or originating from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It also decided that Member States should prohibit that country’s nationals and those in their own territories from leasing or chartering their flagged vessels and aircraft to it, or providing it with crew services.

North Korea says it is boosting its defensive capabilities in the face of threats from its southern neighbor and the US.

It calls ongoing military exercises between South Korea and the US provocative and a prelude to war.

South Korea and the US launched their largest yet military exercises including amphibious landing drills earlier this month.

The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies