China’s cautious approach to its isolated and unpredictable totalitarian neighbour has not borne fruit, however, and now Washington is pushing for stronger worldwide action.
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“Let me just make it clear, North Korea has never been left unattended to”.
Kerry told reporters in Washington that he spoke by phone Thursday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The official also said that to ensure the safety of its citizens, the government would limit South Koreans’ entry to the Kaesong Industrial Complex, where about 50,000 North Koreans are working at about 120 factories run by South Korean companies.
North Korea also said it was capable of miniaturising the hydrogen bomb, in theory allowing it to be placed on a missile and threatening the US West Coast, South Korea and Japan.
Abe said Japan will lead initiatives at the United Nations so the Security Council can adopt a new resolution on North Korea.
But he said that if South Korea is going to be asked to keep calm, then it is essential that global society come up with proper measures in response.
This is while US Navy Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, commander of the 7th Fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan, says the Navy is watching North Korea closely after the country conducted its fourth nuclear test.
Speculation has focused on leader Kim Jong Un’s apparent inability to consolidate power four years after taking over following his father’s death – he has carried out a number of bloody purges of top officials – and a need to rally the populace of the impoverished country with displays of military might.
“The China-North Korea relationship should not be dragged into antagonism”.
U.S. Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives could join forces in a rare display of unity to tighten sanctions on North Korea.
Shortly after this slate of digital assaults, the US and South Korea pledged in May 2015 to strengthen cybersecurity coordination in an effort to counteract North Korea’s cyber efforts. It would also penalize those involved in business providing North Korea with hard currency.
However, he said Thursday that the approach was no longer welcomed by the United States. “We’re continuing to receive information and analysis, and we’ll over the coming days we hope receive even more information that might give us a better understanding of exactly what took place there”.
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While Aucoin said some of the North’s hardware is “not very high tech” – specifically mentioning submarines – its nuclear weapons and missiles are a threat. But the seismic reaction is nearly the same as the seismic reaction that followed an explosion in the North three years ago, when the country detonated a nuclear bomb.
