China Urges to Avoid Fueling Tensions amid US Bombers Flying Over South Korea

Local Editor

After US bombers conducted flights over South Korea, China has called on all sides to abstain from inciting tensions in the region, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Tuesday.

"I think the position of China is very clear. Considering the circumstances, we hope that all parties will exercise restraint, stop provoking one another or escalate tensions in the region," she said at a briefing.

Two US B-1 Lancer bombers were seen over the Osan Air Base south of Seoul on Tuesday morning. Their appearance was intended to be a show of force and solidarity of the United States and South Korea.

The two countries are presenting united front in light of a recent nuclear test carried out by North Korea.

The test, North Korea's fifth and most powerful to date, was registered by monitoring services as having caused a moderate earthquake.

However, China and Russia, which strongly oppose a recent decision by the United States and South Korea to deploy an advanced anti-missile system in the South to counter the North's missile threat, have shown reluctance to back further sanctions.

"Both sides think that North Korea's nuclear test is not beneficial to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula," China's official People's Daily newspaper said on Tuesday following a high-level China-Russia security meeting in Beijing.

"At present, we must work hard to prevent the situation on the peninsula continuing to escalate, and put the issue of the nuclearization of the peninsula back on the track of dialogue and consultation," it said.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team