Beijing: No need for new North Korea sanctions

published: 2017-05-24 10:13:35China’s ambassador to the United Nations says North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic tests highlight the need for negotiations with Pyongyang to reduce the existing tensions.

Liu Jieyi says there’s no reason to dismiss dialogue with the North in the current situation. Liu was speaking to reporters after an emergency U-N Security Council meeting to discuss North Korea’s latest missile test. The U-S, Britain and France want more sanctions against the North. But Liu says the exiting resolutions must be fully implemented before new sanctions are slapped. The U-S has already indicated that it is ready to negotiate with Pyongyang. North Korea says the purpose of its missile and nuclear programs is to protect itself from U-S hostility.