North Korea tests ICBM: Crisis meeting in Moscow?

Created: 03/27/2022, 13:50

By: Helena Gries

After North Korea's ruler Kim Jong-un detonated a suspected ICBM, a high-ranking Chinese diplomat traveled to Moscow for talks.

Moscow – The Ukraine war* also occupies the major global powers USA* and China.

US President Joe Biden* had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping* to clearly distance Beijing* from President Vladimir Putin*.

A high-ranking official of the EU* even accused China of supplying weapons to Russia* in the Ukraine conflict*.

China* is therefore coming under increasing pressure for not denouncing Russia's invasion of Ukraine*.

But so far the leadership of the People's Republic has been reluctant to make clear commitments.

As the US television channel CNN reports, however, a high-ranking Chinese diplomat was a guest in Moscow to meet with Russian officials.

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is said to have been present at the talks on Saturday (March 26, 2022).

North Korea's ICBM test: Chinese diplomat holds talks in Moscow

The visit of Liu Xiaoming, China's representative for Korean affairs, followed North Korea's* suspected ICBM test.

According to consistent media reports, on Thursday (March 24th, 2022) the North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un* had an ICBM detonated – for the first time since 2017.

Liu Xiaoming, China's representative for Korean affairs, was recently in Moscow to speak with Russian officials about North Korea's missile tests.

(Stock photo) © Martyn Wheatley/Imago Images

According to initial analyses, it is said to be a military provocation: According to estimates by the Japanese Defense Ministry, the nuclear-capable missile reached a height of over 6,000 kilometers from a suburb of Pyongyang.

Liu Xiaoming, who served as China's ambassador to Britain for many years, said via Twitter that he had "in-depth talks on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and international matters of mutual interest" in Moscow.

According to CNN, this included initial personal talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov.

North Korea missile tests not unusual: number of launches is striking

It is not unusual for North Korea to test missiles*.

However, the large number of launches in 2022 is striking.

North Korea had tested a similar number of weapons within such a short time in 2019 after the negotiations between ruler Kim Jong-un and then-ruling US President Donald Trump * had failed.

(hg/dpa)