CN: "North Korea Missile Launch, Focus on ROK-US Joint Exercises"

Chinese Foreign Ministry: "In line with shared interests of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula"

On the 18th, China linked North Korea's short-range ballistic missile launch over the East Sea to the joint military exercises conducted by South Korea and the United States.

At a regular briefing that day, Lin Zhen, the new spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated, "China has paid attention to the relevant reports and also noted the joint military exercises previously conducted by South Korea and the United States targeting Joseon (North Korea)."

The joint military exercises mentioned by Spokesperson Lin refer to the South Korea-U.S. joint Freedom Shield (FS) exercises held from the 4th to the 14th.

On the same day, around 7:44 a.m., North Korea launched several presumed short-range ballistic missile projectiles from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea. This marks a resumption of provocations 33 days after the launch of a new type of anti-ship cruise missile on the 14th of last month.

Besides being a reaction to FS, there is analysis suggesting that North Korea had restrained provocations recently considering China's political events?the Two Sessions (National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference)?and the Russian presidential election, but resumed missile launches timed with the 3rd Democracy Summit held in Seoul that day.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in South Korea the previous day to attend the Democracy Summit opening in Seoul.

Spokesperson Lin emphasized, "China believes that maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula aligns with the common interests of all parties involved." As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has supported Security Council resolutions banning North Korea's ballistic missile launches.