Japan urges China, Russia to raise pressure on N. Korea

September 2, 2017

TOKYO- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Friday urged China and Russia to play a role in increasing pressure on North Korea to stop its provocations.

Strictly implementing UN Security Council resolutions against North Korea is important and the international community needs to strengthen pressure on the country, Kono said in separate phone talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Speaking to reporters after the talks, Kono said he agreed with the Chinese and Russian ministers to implement the existing Security Council resolutions strictly.

Referring to a plan by Japan and the United States to adopt a new Security Council sanctions resolution that may include a ban on oil exports to North Korea, Kono said there are differences in approach with China and Russia.

In his talks with Kono, Wang pushed a Chinese proposal that North Korea stop its nuclear and missile development and that the United States and South Korea stop their joint military exercises, according to the Chinese side.

The proposal that both sides provisionally suspend their own activities would bring the nuclear issue back on track for a resolution through dialogue and talks, Wang was quoted as saying.

Kono told Wang that North Korea's missile launch over Japan on Tuesday is an unprecedentedly serious and grave threat and totally unacceptable.

The Japanese and Chinese ministers agreed to increase opportunities for their dialogue in order to improve bilateral relations. Jiji Press