At a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday 20 April, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi showed their common resolve to avoid conflict on the Korean peninsula at time of high tension between North Korea and the USA.
"We discussed at length the rising tensions on the Korean peninsula where we both support the urgent objectives of de-nuclearisation, de-escalation of tensions and a return to dialogue. The European Union is ready to do its part to help on these objectives", Mogherini stated.
"The European Union fully and robustly implements the UN Security Council Resolutions when it comes to the violations of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] and we are equally committed to support a political process that can lead to these objectives we share" with China, she added, giving assurances that the two parties would "keep close coordination in the weeks to come".
"China and Europe have a common responsibility and an interest to avoid a military escalation (...), to push for North Korea to abide by its international obligations and re-engage with the international community and work together for a denuclearised Korean peninsula," Mogherini said at Tsinguha University in Beijing on Thursday 20 April, warning that "a crisis with North Korea would have global fallout".
Tension on the Korean peninsula has risen over recent weeks, with North Korea preparing a new nuclear test in defiance of international bans, and the USA threatening to take unilateral action against Pyongyang if China does not help bring pressure to bear on its neighbour. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)