China urges 'political settlement' on the Korean Peninsula after North Korea tests a cluster warhead for tactical missiles
China's foreign ministry called on 'all relevant parties' to pursue a political settlement after North Korea said it tested a cluster-bomb warhead for tactical ballistic missiles on Saturday. North Korea said it would field four types of cluster warheads by the end of the year; South Korea said it tracked the launch toward the Yellow Sea with the United States.
China on Monday 2 November urged “all relevant parties” to pursue a “political settlement” on the Korean Peninsula, after North Korea said it had tested a cluster-bomb warhead designed for tactical ballistic missiles.
“We hope the relevant parties will face up to the root cause of the Korean Peninsula issue, stick to the direction of political settlement, and make efforts to ease tensions and maintain peace and stability in the region,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing, Anadolu Agency reported. Asked whether the test violated UN Security Council resolutions, she said China had noted the report and North Korea’s recent statements about military activities by the US, South Korea and Japan.
The test
North Korea’s Missile Administration carried out the test on Saturday 31 October, state news agency KCNA said, claiming its “Standard Type 2” cluster warhead could destroy a target area of 12 to 13 hectares. Its general director said four categories of cluster warheads would be available to units “within this year”, Yonhap reported.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was fired toward the Yellow Sea from around Chongju county, and that it had tracked activity before the launch “under close information sharing between South Korea and the United States”. A Seoul-based defence analyst told Yonhap the missile appeared to be a Hwasong-11 Ra.
Background
North Korea said in April it had tested cluster bombs on the Hwasong-11 Ra. Saturday’s test came as the top diplomats of South Korea, the US and Japan called for North Korea’s complete denuclearisation at talks in Atlanta. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that President Donald Trump remained open to talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, though no meeting was scheduled, Yonhap reported.
Sources
Follow us on X for updates: @TruthNetwork26
Related coverage
All world news →
Hormuz could reopen within two days if the US meets Tehran's terms, Iran says, as Xi and Oman's sultan call for safe passage
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the Strait of Hormuz could reopen and talks with Washington resume within two days if the United States accepted Iran's conditions, shortening a seven-day timeline proposed in September. In Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq called for normal navigation through the strait to resume, and China said it was sending its Middle East envoy to Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
GMO Internet Group analysis points to North Korea-linked hackers behind October cyberattack, Kyodo reports
An internal analysis by Japanese internet infrastructure company GMO Internet Group found that a hacking group linked to North Korea was likely behind last month's cyberattack on the company, Kyodo News reported on Sunday, citing sources close to the matter.
North Korea fires about a dozen short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea amid a dispute with Seoul over a border landmine blast
South Korea's military said the missiles were launched from the Wonsan area and flew about 250 km. Seoul's presidential office said the launch violated UN Security Council resolutions and urged Pyongyang to stop. The launch came about a week after South Korea proposed military talks over the border.
South Korea's Kospi rises 3.3% and Nikkei gains 0.9% on Wednesday; Hong Kong and Shanghai fall
Asian share markets closed mixed, with technology shares lifting Seoul and Tokyo while markets in Greater China ended lower.
Kim Yo Jong says North Korea's 'new firepower units' are in position on border and loudspeakers will switch on this month
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister said new firepower units had taken up firing positions along the border with South Korea and that propaganda loudspeakers would operate along its full length in October. South Korea's top military officer has ordered troops to respond 'decisively' to any provocation.
North Korea says it tested AI-guided 'super-speed' torpedo, capping a week of weapons launches
State media said the Zam-2.0 test was a 'great success'. Earlier in the week Pyongyang fired ballistic missiles and launched cruise missiles from a submarine.
