It's the US' turn to show sincerity to peninsula process

Source
Global Times
Editor
Li Jiayao
Time
2018-04-21 21:10:28

North Korea has promised to suspend its nuclear and missile tests, with experts saying the US needs to show sincerity to safeguard the positive progress on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and the UN Security Council should start rethinking its sanctions on North Korea.

North Korea will suspend its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests starting Saturday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Saturday.

"This is first time North Korea has made a clear promise and shown sincerity, so the US also needs to make a positive response, such as reducing sanctions or suspending joint military drills with South Korea, to safeguard this hard-fought progress for peace," Lü Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

At the same time, the UN Security Council should start reconsidering its sanctions against North Korea, Lü said.

North Korea's Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party made the decision on Friday.

"We will discontinue nuclear and inter-continental ballistic rocket tests starting April 21, 2018. DPRK will dismantle its northern nuclear test site to guarantee the discontinuance of nuclear tests," it said.

Cheng Xiaohe, an associate professor at the Renmin University of China's School of International Studies, told the Global Times that "North Korea is actively creating a friendly atmosphere," but didn't mention "denuclearization" this time, so "North Korea will leave the details about denuclearization to negotiations at the summits with South Korea and the US."

US President Donald Trump responded on Twitter, saying "North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit."

"The recent developments show that China's long-standing initiatives for the peninsula issue, 'dual-suspension' and 'dual-track' approaches, will come true if relevant countries seize the opportunity to further push the peace process," Lü said.

 

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