By Gavin Mackintosh-
North Korea has announced that its nuclear programme is as precious as its own life and is therefore willing to fall out with China over it if necessary.
The warning came as the nation at the heart of current world tensions warned of “grave consequences” if it “chops down” relations between the two countries. On Wednesday night, North Korean state news agency, KCNA, attacked China for a “string of absurd and reckless remarks” from the Chinese media towards Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. Expressing a stubborn stance that included its readiness to lose its friendship with China over its controversial and disturbing nuclear ambition, its editorial said:
“The DPRK will never beg for the maintenance of friendship with China, risking its nuclear program which is as precious as its own life, no matter how valuable the friendship is.”
“China should no longer try to test the limits of the DPRK’s patience [and] had better ponder over the grave consequences to be entailed by its reckless act of chopping down the pillar of the DPRK-China relations,” it added.
The angry warnings remarks were an attack on a call for tougher sanctions published in China’s People’s Daily and Global Times newspapers over North Korea’s nuclear program. China is united with America’s insistence that North Korea seize it’s nuclear war programme, in return for which positive trade relations has been promised by President Donald Trump’s administration. China has long been seen as having the most leverage when it comes to the ability to influence it’s close neighbour, but the message of defiance coming from North Korea will make matters more tense. China cannot now reverse its publicly declared position.
KCNA said that Chinese state media calls for Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear program were a “wanton violation of the independent and legitimate rights, dignity and supreme interests” of North Korea and constitute “an undisguised threat to an honest-minded neighboring country which has a long history and tradition of friendship.”
North Korea’s People’s Daily and Global Times have both condemned Pyongyang’s comments, accusing North Korea of “irrational logic over its nuclear program.” This means Pyongyang is not using his head in relation to his highly opposed nuclear ambitions.
CONSISTENT AND CLEAR
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang today slightly adjusted his country’s stance on North Korea by saying that whilst China’s position on North Korea’s nuclear program is “consistent and clear,” its desire to maintain a good relationship with Pyongyang remains the same. This position reveals a conflict of interest which China has to handle, if North Korea does not shift its current position, which seems unlikely. China has done its best to play the role of a mediator in the escalating tensions between the U.S and North Korea, but finds itself caught up in the middle of an ongoing dispute, easily capable of getting out of hand and affecting the entire world. If talks doesn’t work, what will?
U.S president has already shown he is prepared to act radically if forced, but the exercise of restraint is being requested by China and other negotiators. America has continued to conduct military exercises in the North Korean peninsula , showing its awesome strength, whilst North Korea has threatened nuclear war if the ”provocation” continues. Trump doesn’t see it as provocation, instead he sees North Korea as the troublesome one’s provoking a big problem which America is probably prepared to solve as Trump has promised. The world can just watch as talks and defiance continue side by side.