China: Restraint after DPRK armistice threat

Xinhua, March 6, 2013

China on Wednesday called for calmness and restraint after Pyongyang's military announced that it would nullify a Korean War armistice with the Republic of Korea (ROK).

"The Korean War armistice is significant in terms of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily press briefing.

Hua's comments came after the supreme military command of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Tuesday that the country would nullify the armistice on Monday, the same day that a U.S.-ROK military drill is set to kick off.

The ROK military warned on Wednesday that it will retaliate against the DPRK if it takes any provocative action.

China hopes relevant parties will remain calm and restrained, as well as refrain from taking any action that could escalate tensions, Hua said.

She said maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is the common responsibility of all parties concerned.

"In the long-term, we believe that a peace mechanism should replace the armistice," Hua said, adding that relevant parties should work toward this goal through negotiations so as to attain lasting peace and stability in the region.

Regarding the UN Security Council's ongoing consultations on how to respond to the DPRK's third nuclear test conducted last month, Hua said China hopes the UN Security Council will react in a necessary and moderate way.

Hua said the UN Security Council's reaction should be conducive to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as well as maintaining regional peace and stability.

China is maintaining communication and coordination with all other members of the UN Security Council, she said.