UN, Beijing blocks condemnation of North Korean missiles

The Chinese government wanted to include a reference to Thaad in the Security Council in the text, the anti-missile system installed by the United States in the south of the peninsula. Situation in deadlock, the statement is set aside. Experts: "There will probably be a weakening of the sanctions against its nuclear program".

New York (AsiaNews / Agencies) - China has blocked a UN statement condemning the missile tests carried out by North Korea. Beijing blasted the draft text, already revised by the 15-member UN Security Council because it did not contain any reference to the Thaad anti-missile system. This, installed by the United States in South Korea, is considered by the Chinese "a threat to peace in the region".

The Council was working on the statement since last Aug. 3, when Pyongyang launched a battery of different range missiles reaching the territorial waters of Japan. Two days ago, the Chinese representative to the UN submitted a formal revision of the original text - prepared by the United States - the five permanent members of the Council and the ten electives.

The new text retain the condemnation of the tests, but you also read that "the nation involved in the area for political, diplomatic or economic reasons should not take any action which might increase tensions on the Korean peninsula. Nor should they install new defense systems on the pretext of keeping the North Korean weaponry under control".

The text was rejected en mass by the Member States. Even Russia, which had expressed serious concerns before the Thaad project declined to sign the draft. Some experts who have participated in the review commented to Chosun Ilbo: "This way of doing things weakens the role of the Security Council and puts at risk the sanctions imposed by the UN on Pyongyang for its aggressive nuclear program".

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