China on NKorea, Japan and Germany

(13 Apr 2023) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Beijing - 13 April 2023 1. Wide of news conference 2. Wide of journalists 3. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson: “This round of tension on the Korean Peninsula has a reason. The negative impact of the U.S. military exercises and strategic weapons deployed around the peninsula a few days ago is obvious to all. We hope all parties will remain calm and exercise restraint, stop exerting pressure and confrontation. The U.S., in particular, should take concrete actions to address the legitimate concerns of North Korea and create conditions for easing tension and resuming dialogue as soon as possible.” 4. Mid of journalists 5. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson: “China pays close attention to the report and will closely follow the developments of the situation. In recent years, Japan has repeatedly hyped the so-called China threat, constantly breached the constraints of its pacifist constitution and commitment to exclusive self-defence, greatly increased defence spending, developed offensive weapons, sought to acquire capability to strike enemy bases, and went further down the path of military expansion. This sends a dangerous signal to countries in the region and the world that Japan intends to subvert the postwar international order. The international community should remain highly vigilant in this regard.” 6. Wide of journalist 7. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson: “China-Germany pragmatic cooperation is based on the voluntary cooperation of enterprises on both sides, which is mutually beneficial and win-win. The German side is well aware of the ins and outs of COSCO's acquisition of terminals of Hamburg Port. We hope Germany can refrain from politicizing business cooperation, making it something about ideology or security, or artificially setting up obstacles. We once again urge the German side to view the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries objectively and rationally, and provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises.” 8. Wide of news conference STORYLINE: China on Thursday again blamed the U.S. for the heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula after North Korea conducted its first intercontinental ballistic missile launch in a month earlier in the day. The country’s neighbor said the North was possibly testing a new more mobile, harder-to-detect missile for the first time as it extends its provocative run of weapons tests. Asked about the launch at a daily news briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin avoided criticizing the country’s ally and argued that there was a “reason” behind the escalation. “The negative impact of the US military exercises and strategic weapons deployed around the peninsula a few days ago is obvious to all,” Wang said. North Korea has launched about 100 missiles since the start of 2022, many of them nuclear-capable weapons that place the U.S. mainland, South Korea or Japan within striking distance. In addition, Wang hit out at the Japanese government’s deal with the country’s top defense contractor to develop and mass produce long-range missiles for deployment as early as 2026. The development plan is based on a new National Security Strategy that Japan announced in December as it seeks to significantly increase its military power to deter potential threats from China, North Korea and Russia. =========================================================== Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...