Trump last month said Beijing could resolve issue of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions ‘very easily’

The Associated Press Posted: Mar 07, 2017 

Protesters in Seoul shout slogans during a rally to oppose the plan to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, in front of the Defense Ministry on Tuesday. (Lee Jin-man/The Associated Press)

China on Wednesday proposed that North Korea could suspend its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for a halt in joint military drills conducted by the U.S. and South Korea.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi likened escalating tensions between the North and Washington and Seoul to “two accelerating trains, coming toward each other with neither side willing to give way.”

“The question is: Are the two sides really ready for a head-on collision?” Wang told reporters. “Our priority now is to flash the red light and apply the brakes on both trains.

Wang said China proposes that as a first step to defusing the looming crisis, the North might suspend its nuclear and missile activities if the U.S. and South Korea halted their military exercises.

“This suspension-for-suspension can help us break out of the security dilemma and bring the parties back to the negotiating table,” Wang said, describing the approach as trying to address all parties’ concerns in a “synchronized and reciprocal” manner.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi likened North Korea and those supporting South Korea as ‘two accelerating trains’ on Wednesday. (Jason Lee/Reuters)

China has also rejected accusations from U.S. President Donald Trump that Beijing could be doing more, saying the problem was ultimately between Washington and Pyongyang.

China has been stepping up pressure on North Korea, its once-close…

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