China on Wednesday called on the U.S. and North Korea to back down from a war that would have “unimaginable consequences”.
Speaking in Berlin, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the threat of war on the Korean peninsula was particularly high.
“I must emphasise once again that security and stability are very fragile at the moment,” he told a news conference. “And there is a great danger [that] new incidents, new conflicts can break out any time.”
The rhetoric between North Korea and the U.S. has risen in recent weeks. The U.S. has deployed warships and the Thaad missile system to the peninsula while Pyongyang is thought to be planning further nuclear or missile tests.
“I believe that we cannot tolerate even a 1 percent possibility of war,” Wang said alongside Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.
“North Korea is not like the Middle East. If a war breaks out on the Korean peninsula, then we will face serious, unimaginable consequences.
“Therefore, it is our common interest to reduce the risks of a war.”
China is North Korea’s main backer and has called for an end to U.S.-South Korean military manoeuvres and a stop to the North’s nuclear development program to reduce tensions.
Gabriel expressed support for China’s efforts to find a peaceful solution but said the first steps should come from Pyongyang.
He accused Kim Jong-un’s regime of raising the stakes with missile threats and nuclear tests in violation of UN resolutions.
Referring to China’s plan to reduce tensions, Gabriel said: “I believe that this can be a first big step, for at least to prevent further escalation of tensions.”