China criticizes ‘opaque nuclear development’
In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on the 21st, US President Joe Biden criticized North Korea for continuing and clearly violating UN sanctions despite US efforts to initiate serious and sustained diplomacy with North Korea. President Biden also referred to China directly and said, “China is developing a nuclear weapon that is unprecedentedly opaque.”
President Biden spoke about North Korea on the same day, raising concerns about nuclear threats from Russia and China. “I urge all countries to reaffirm their commitment to strengthening their nuclear non-proliferation regime through diplomacy,” he said. He criticized North Korea for violating UN Security Council resolutions and preparing for a seventh nuclear test along with a series of ballistic missile tests, and urged North Korea to engage in “unconditional dialogue” for denuclearization.
In a speech last year, President Biden said, “The United States is seeking serious and sustained diplomacy for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” There is,” he said.
He also talked about China’s progress in nuclear weapons and the Taiwan Strait issue. “I will speak directly about the competition between the United States and China,” Biden said. “We are not asking any country to choose between the United States and other partners,” he said. “In the midst of the competition between democracy and dictatorship, the United States will protect and strengthen democracy around the world,” he said. He indirectly criticized China as a dictatorship by highlighting the ‘democracy versus dictatorship’ conflict.
President Biden also said that the United States seeks to “maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait” and “opposes a unilateral change in the status quo on either side.” A senior White House official said, “This is the first time President Biden has mentioned China directly in his address to the United Nations General Assembly.”
Washington = Byung-ki Moon, Reporter weappon@donga.com
