The United States and China have disagreed with the United Nations over North Korea’s nuclear tests

(File) US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield – AFP

The United States and China disagreed on Wednesday at the United Nations Security Council on how to reduce tensions with North Korea. Although Washington has called for more sanctions against Pyongyang, Beijing wants to ease them.

The council’s emergency meeting came amid fears that North Korea could resume its nuclear tests in the coming weeks.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said, “It’s time to stop the idea of ​​silent permission and start taking action.” “We have to move fast without considering easing the barriers.”

Linda rejected a draft resolution by China and Russia (council members with veto power similar to the US) aimed at easing sanctions imposed in 2017. Instead, the ambassador said, talks on a separate United States were nearing completion. Text to update barriers.

“We cannot wait for North Korea to carry out provocative, illegal and dangerous acts such as nuclear tests. We have to express ourselves, ”the ambassador said.

China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said the growing potential was worrying and called for calm. He said tough sanctions in the context of distrust “would not be constructive”. “China wants to avoid a new nuclear test,” he told the AFP after the meeting.

“It is better to talk than to force action. We have seen many coercive actions in the world in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Did you see good results? What we saw was just humanitarian suffering,” Zhang said.

Russian Ambassador Anna Yevstikneva also supported the resolution he proposed with China and called for the resumption of talks.

Pyongyang’s missile launches have increased dramatically, with a dozen weapons tests since January, the first long-range intercontinental ballistic missile launch since 2017.

Today’s Security Council meeting came a day after the inauguration of South Korea’s new President Eun Suk-yol, who promised to act harshly in Pyongyang.