China will cut aid to
North Korea if the rogue communist nation insists on proceeding with a threatened nuclear test, which Pyongyang has said was aimed at targeting the United States, according to an editorial in the Beijing state-run Global Times.
"If North Korea engages in further nuclear tests, China will not hesitate to reduce its assistance to North Korea," the Global Times said. "China hopes for a stable peninsula, but it's not the end of the world if there's trouble there.
"We should have a pragmatic attitude to deal with the problems and pursue the optimal ratio between our investment of resources and strategic gains," according to the editorial.
China is
North Korea's main ally and trade partner and is perceived as one of the few nations able to influence Pyongyang's behavior. The editorial was unusually blunt and goes beyond Beijing’s usual calls for stability and dialogue on the Korean peninsula, according to The Times of India.
North Korea Friday also threatened to attack rival South Korea if Seoul joined a new round of tightened U.N. sanctions, as Washington unveiled more of its own economic restrictions following Pyongyang's rocket launch last month.
The editorial also slammed North Korean criticism of China for backing the U.N. sanctions.
"After putting a lot of effort into amendments for the draft resolution, China also voted for it. It seems that North Korea does not appreciate China's effort," the Global Times said.
Reuters News Service contributed to this report.
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