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North Korea Sanctions Should Not Affect People's Livelihood: Beijing
File photo shows Hong Lei, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]
Chinese authorities are urging caution regarding efforts to impose new sanctions against North Korea, warning that the move should not affect people's livelihoods in the country.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei made the remark as the United States introduced a draft UN Security Council resolution on Thursday to impose sanctions on North Korea.
"The United Nations Security Council is discussing new sanctions against North Korea. China believes that relevant resolution should focus on containing the country's capacity of nuclear and ballistic missile development. The sanctions should have clear orientation, and should not affect the livelihood of the people of the country."
Hong Lei added that China believes that sanctions alone will not succeed.
"China has put forward a very important proposal of seeking parallel progress in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and in the peace process. The proposal is conducive to the realization of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, conducive to the answer to the reasonable concerns of all parties and conducive to the long-term peace and stability of the Peninsula."
Meantime, the South Korean Unification Ministry said on Friday that the expected ban under the new UN resolution on North Korea's mineral resources exports will significantly damage the North's foreign currency income.
http://english.cri.cn/12394/2016/02/26/3441s918147.htm