The U.S. State Department retorted to the claim by the Chinese and Russian leaders that the U.S. and its allies should stop the threat against North Korea. The State Department stated that China and Russia have been supporting North Korea’s provocations and can deter them. It also reaffirmed its position condemning North Korea’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to Voice of America (VOA), on May 17th, the Senior Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department. Vedant Patel, stated on May 16th (GMT), “We have long believed that Russia and China can play a role in deterring North Korea’s provocative, reckless, malicious, and destabilizing actions.”
In response to a question about the U.S. government’s position on the joint statement issued by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin after their summit, which opposed the pressure on North Korea by the U.S. and its allies, Patel responded accordingly.
During the briefing, Patal stated, “We have long believed that China and Russia have played a role in assisting North Korea’s provocations and reckless security undermining actions.” He added, “We believe that China and Russia can engage with North Korea through bilateral and multilateral relations, such as at the Security Council.”
Patel also said, “We believe that Russia and China have the capacity, channels, and relations to do so directly with North Korea, not only through bilateral relations but also through multilateral organizations like the UN Security Council.”
He emphasized, “China is supporting Russia’s defense industry and threatening not only Ukraine but also European security. The Chinese government cannot continue this support while developing relations with European countries. China cannot have it both ways.”
In response to a question about whether the alliance between North Korea, China and Russia would be strengthened if President Putin visits North Korea after China, he replied, “I don’t think it’s a question of whether the alliance between North Korea and Russia is strengthened or not.”
Patal continued, “We know that North Korea has been providing material support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continues to do so,” and added, “Therefore, we will continue to condemn such actions and take appropriate measures to hold the perpetrators accountable.”
Following their summit, President Putin and President Xi issued a joint statement saying, “Both countries oppose the escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to threats, acts of confrontation, and possible armed conflict provocations in the military domain by the U.S. and its allies.”
They added, “We call for the abandonment of threats, sanctions, and suppression against North Korea,” and emphasized, “Both countries oppose the construction of closed and exclusive block (group) structures in the Asia-Pacific region, especially military alliances targeting third countries.” They also stressed, “The U.S.’s Indo-Pacific strategy and the destructive acts of NATO in the Asia-Pacific region harm the peace and stability of this region.”
On May 16th, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing to begin his state visit to China. On May 17th, he reached Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province, for a two-day visit.
President Putin is attending the opening ceremony of the 8th Russia-China Expo and the 4th Russia-China Regional Cooperation Forum in Harbin. Accompanying Putin’s schedule in Harbin was Vice President Han Zheng, who represented President Xi Jinping.
