China's deputy U.N. ambassador is pushing back against U.S. insistence that the Asian country holds the key to resolving North Korea's escalating nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
told a ministerial meeting of the U.N. Security Council Friday that "the current situation on the (Korean) Peninsula is not caused by any one party alone, and it is not possible to impose on any one party the responsibility of solving the problem."
Wu said: "The parties concerned should move towards each other instead of engaging in rhetoric blaming, and not shift responsibility to others."
He also criticized unilateral sanctions against North Korea — which the U.S., European Union, Japan and others have imposed — saying they undermine Security Council unity "and should be abandoned."
Wu said "the hope for peace is not totally obliterated" and urged all parties to "keep in mind the big picture of maintaining peace and stability" and end rhetoric that exacerbates tensions.
