US State Department Calls China's Claim That US Causes North Korea Provocations "Nonsense"

(Photo by Reuters)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The U.S. Department of State recently criticized China and Russia's claims, which pointed to the U.S. as the cause of North Korea's escalating provocations, calling them "nonsense."

On the 17th (local time), Vedant Patel, the State Department's Principal Deputy Spokesperson, stated during a briefing, "Last week at the United Nations Security Council, you would have seen China and others making the incorrect claim that the cause of North Korea's missile launches is U.S. provocations," adding, "This is completely nonsense."

Deputy Spokesperson Patel reaffirmed the existing stance, saying, "We condemn North Korea's continuous provocations, which are clear violations of multiple UN Security Council resolutions," and "These pose a serious threat to regional and global security."

Earlier, China and Russia, permanent members of the Security Council, opposed additional sanctions on North Korea's missile provocations, while arguing that a series of military exercises conducted around the Korean Peninsula were the cause of North Korea's missile launches.

Regarding this, Geng Shuang, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the UN, stated at the Security Council meeting, "North Korea's launch activities do not exist in isolation," and "They are directly related to a series of recent military exercises conducted in the region," blaming North Korea's provocations on the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises and calling for the easing of sanctions against North Korea.