US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has invited key ally South Korea to discuss the results of his visit to China this month, South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Blinken told South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin that he had an honest, practical and constructive dialogue with the Chinese side and wanted to explain the results of his visit in as much detail as possible.
The ministry said Blinken and Park decided to continue to communicate on relations with China and to urge Beijing to play a constructive role in denuclearization and North Korea’s provocations.
During a visit to China where Blinken met with President Xi Jinping and other top officials, the two sides agreed to maintain their intense rivalry so it did not end up in conflict, but failed to make any major progress.
North Korea, meanwhile, has criticized Blinken for trying to pressure China to lay down its arms to Pyongyang, and has warned that its response to any strong US military action on the Korean Peninsula would grow „very heavy and aggressive”. on Saturday.
Blinken’s „threats” to China to pressure Pyongyang reveal a „dangerous hegemonic mentality,” KCNA said, citing a North Korean foreign ministry official.
KCNA criticized the US for sending military assets, including a nuclear-powered submarine, to the Korean Peninsula, threatening „peace and security”.
North Korea fired two short-range missiles off its east coast last week, less than an hour after Pyongyang warned of retaliation for military drills by South Korean and US troops.
The isolated country is subject to international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
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