China Blames U.S. 'Hostile Policy' for Korean Peninsula Tensions After Wang Yi Visit to Seoul

China has blamed the United States for rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula after Foreign Minister Wang Yi met South Korea's national security adviser in Seoul on Thursday. During the meeting, Wang urged South Korea not to take sides between Beijing and Washington and called for what he described as peaceful coexistence with North Korea. The comments came as Seoul also disclosed a higher estimate of North Korea's nuclear arsenal, adding to concern about the security situation in the region.

Sponsored

Wang said the fundamental solution to tensions lay in addressing what he called the root causes of the problem and pressing the United States to abandon its hostile policy toward North Korea. He said China would welcome a move toward peaceful coexistence between South Korea and North Korea. The remarks were reported after his talks in the South Korean capital, where he met the national security adviser.

At the same time, South Korea's defence minister, Ahn Gyu-back, told lawmakers that North Korea is believed to have about 80 to 120 nuclear warheads. He said the figure was difficult to determine exactly, but later clarified that it was based on estimates from private research organisations specialising in the issue. He also said the South Korean government could not officially confirm the number.

Ahn's estimate is higher than figures cited by some multilateral institutes and differs from a comment made by U.S. President Donald Trump a day earlier that Kim Jong Un had 57 very powerful nuclear weapons. The exchange highlights the continuing diplomatic and security pressure surrounding North Korea's weapons programme.

Sponsored

China remains one of the few countries with direct influence over Pyongyang, while South Korea depends heavily on its alliance with the United States for deterrence. Wang's call for Seoul not to choose between Beijing and Washington reflects the wider strategic competition between the two powers, which often shapes regional responses to North Korea. The latest comments also come against the backdrop of long-running efforts to manage the North Korean nuclear issue through diplomacy, sanctions and military deterrence.

North Korea has continued to expand its arsenal despite repeated international pressure, and estimates of its stockpile vary because of the difficulty of verifying the number of warheads and the pace of production. South Korea's new assessment suggests officials in Seoul see the threat as larger than some outside estimates, even if the government has stopped short of confirming a precise figure. What remains unclear is whether Wang's message will lead to any change in South Korea's approach or in China's role in future talks on the peninsula.

It is also not clear how Seoul's revised estimate will affect public debate or policy planning in the coming days. For now, the episode underscores the gap between Beijing, Washington and Seoul over how to respond to North Korea's nuclear programme and the broader regional balance.

#China #Blames #Hostile #Policy #Korean

Sponsored