China sides with North Korea: Is the World on the Brink of Another World War?

China has strongly come against the increasing war of words between North Korea and the US and has called for a caution to avoid a catastrophic conflict on the Korean peninsula.

The US and North Korea have both “ramped up their threatening rhetoric”, according to the Global Times editorial, and added that China will side with North Korea if the US launches an offensive. Owned by the state, the editorial in the newspapers is seen as the government’s position on the issue.

“If the US and South Korea carry out strikes and try to overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean Peninsula, China will prevent them from doing so,” the editorial said.

The column, however, added, that it would remain “neutral”, in case if North Korea launches missiles first, to threaten US soil.

US President Donald Trump has threatened war against North Korea, a country it deeply shares hostile relations with. The threats have been reciprocated by North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un.

The Chinese Government has demanded de-escalation between the two nations several times before. This time, however, it came as a direct threat from China, as two hostile nations continued with brinkmanship.

Pointing out that it opposes both nuclear proliferation and the war on the Korean Peninsula, China said it will not encourage any side it considers deeply strategic and important, to escalate the military conflict in the peninsula.

“The Korean Peninsula is where the strategic interests of all sides converge, and no side should try to be the absolute dominator of the region,” the editorial said.

President Trump continued to scorn North Korea, as he turned to his personal account on Twitter and launched another verbal missive against Korea.

“Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully, Kim Jong Un will find another path!” Trump tweeted onFriday.

Amidst the rising tensions, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also expressed a deep concern, over the threats and counter-threats between North Korea and the US. Lavrov urged the two nations to sign-up to a joint Chinese-Russian plan, that will look ahead to Kim freezing its missile tests, and the US and its ally South Korea, halt any military activity that jeopardizes the Korean peninsula.