China Urges "Calm and Caution" from All Nations Following North Korea's Medium-Long Range Ballistic Missile Launch

'Hwasong-12' Medium-Range Ballistic Missile Within Guam's Range Test-Fired Yesterday
China Urges "Maintaining Calm and Restraint, Upholding Political Resolution Approach"

North Korea announced on the 31st through the Korean Central News Agency that it successfully conducted a test launch of the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) the previous day. (Pyongyang, Korean Central News Agency=Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Regarding North Korea's test launch of the medium-to-long-range ballistic missile 'Hwasong-12,' the Chinese government has called on the relevant countries for calm, restraint, and a cautious response.

On the 31st, the spokesperson office of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded in writing to Yonhap News Agency's request for a comment on North Korea's announcement of the successful test launch of the Hwasong-12, stating, "China is aware of the related reports and the movements of various parties on the Korean Peninsula," and added, "Safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula aligns with the common interests of all parties."

The spokesperson office further stated, "We hope that all relevant parties maintain calm and restraint, exercise caution in words and actions, adhere to the direction of political resolution, create conditions to resume dialogue and negotiations, and work together to promote the political resolution process of the Korean Peninsula issue."

This is interpreted as reaffirming the existing stance of drawing a line against condemnation or sanction movements toward North Korea while proposing to create a dialogue phase.

On the same day, North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported that on the 30th, a test launch inspection firing test was conducted by randomly selecting production-deployed missiles of the ground-to-ground medium-to-long-range ballistic missile Hwasong-12 in the area of Mupyong-ri, Jagang Province, toward the East Sea.

This launch marks the seventh military demonstration conducted by North Korea since the beginning of the new year and is a launch test just three days after firing two ground-to-ground tactical guided missiles on the 27th.