United Nations • The United States and North Korea hold "the primary responsibility" for de-escalating tensions and negotiating peace on the Korean Peninsula — not China, Beijing's U.N. ambassador said Monday.
Liu Jieyi said that if Washington and Pyongyang refuse to reduce tensions and hold new talks as called for in U.N. Security Council resolutions, "then no matter how capable China is, China's efforts will not yield practical results — because it depends on the two principal parties."
The Trump administration has accused China of failing to rein in North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and warned of possible economic reprisals on Beijing, which is responsible for 90 percent of trade with the northeast Asian nation.