China urges North Korea to ‘take seriously’ bid to halt nuclear program

Jewel Samad | AFP | Getty Images

China’s Ambassador to the United Nations Liu Jieyi presides over a Security Council meeting on North Korea at the UN headquarters in New York on July 5, 2017.

Chinese U.N. Ambassador Liu Jieyi called on North Korea to “take seriously the expectations and will of the international community” to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile development, and called on all parties to remain “cool-headed” and not stoke tensions.

Liu said relevant parties should resume negotiations “sooner rather than later.” To kick-start talks, China and Russia have proposed a dual suspension of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile testing as well as U.S. and South Korean military exercises.

“We think it’s a big mistake to underestimate this Russia, China initiative. It remains on the table at the Security Council and we will insist on it being considered,” Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has called the proposal insulting.