By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS – The United States is the only country that can solve the problem of North Korea’s missiles and nuclear program, China’s U.N. envoy has said. Washington should show more sincerity, flexibility, and willingness to make concessions if they want to reach a solution.

Ambassador Zhang Jun stated that North Korea’s representatives should propose more appealing, pragmatic, flexible and practical approaches to addressing their concerns. America holds the key to resolving this problem.

The US requested that he speak ahead of the closed U.N. Security Council Meeting, in which he would discuss North Korea’s recent launch of an intermediate range ballistic missile.

U.S. officials met after the meeting. Linda Thomas Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to United Nations said to reporters after the meeting: “We must continue the pressure.”

A joint U.N. Security Council statement condemning North Korea’s missile launch was also read by her. She warned that Pyongyang would continue to be encouraged if the Security Council continues to remain silent.

Eight members of the council – United States, Brazil, France and Ireland, Norway and the United Arab Emirates – described Sunday’s launch in Tokyo as an “important escalation” and “seeks further to destabilize this region.”

The North Korean missile launch team claimed that it had launched nine ballistic rockets during January. They described this as the most in a single month since the inception of its weapon of mass destruction (WMD) programs.

BANNED TESTS

U.N. Security Council prohibits North Korea from testing nuclear weapons or launching ballistic missiles. Diplomats claimed that the United States had proposed for the council to make a statement.

The statement was signed by the Japan and eight members of council. The council’s silence has been costing too much. This will encourage the DPRK’s defiance of the international community.”

Zhang stated that the council shouldn’t issue any statement except if they are “helpful in de-escalating tensions.” These statements must be reached by consensus.

North Korea confirmed on Monday https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nkorea-says-tested-hwasong-12-missile-sunday-2022-01-30 it had launched a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile, the same weapon it had once threatened to target the U.S. territory of Guam with, sparking fears the nuclear-armed state could resume long-range testing.

Since 2017, it was the first time that North Korea has tested such a large-sized nuclear-capable ballistic missile.

Pyongyang was putting off long-range nuclear missile launches and testing of nukes, while Kim Jong Un met the then-U.S. President Donald Trump at Singapore in 2018, and Vietnam 2019.

Zhang spoke of these meetings and suspended tests. He asked, “What’s been done by America?”

Thomas-Greenfield stated that other launches of ballistic missiles have continued in the last few years. He also said that U.S. President Joe Biden couldn’t commit to meeting Kim until Washington has “a better understanding of what is possible.”

Since the summits between Trump, Kim and Kim failed to reach a settlement, diplomacy has been in limbo with North Korea. Pyongyang demands the lifting of U.S.- and U.N. sanction. Although there has not been any easing in U.S./U.N. policies, Russia and China have suggested the Security Council take such a step.

Thomas-Greenfield claimed that the council should not “reward Pyongyang” for ballistic missile test results.

The eight members of the council and Japan stated that they continue to press North Korea to accept the United States’ offers to meet “without preconditions”.