China insisted on Tuesday that new UN sanctions against North Korea agreed were not aimed at destabilising the country, as it aired its growing concerns over the “explosive” situation in its communist neighbour.
中国周二坚称，联合国(UN)通过的对朝新制裁并不是为了破坏朝鲜的稳定。中国还表示，它对这个共产主义邻国“充满了火药味”的局势日益感到担忧。
In comments clearly aimed at the US, Wang Yi, foreign minister, used tough language to describe Beijing’s fears as he warned of the consequences of provoking unrest.
在对朝鲜半岛生乱的后果发出警告时，中国外长王毅（上图）使用了严厉的措辞来描述北京方面的担心，他的表态显然是针对美国的。
“China will not sit by and watch if there is fundamental destruction of stability on the Korean peninsula,” said Mr Wang at a briefing held during the National People’s Congress, the annual meeting of the country’s rubber-stamp legislature.
“中方不会坐视半岛稳定受到根本破坏，”王毅在中国全国人大会议期间举行的一次记者会上表示，“不会坐视中方的安全利益受到无端损害。”他强烈敦促各方“理性克制，不要再激化矛盾”。
The unusually blunt Chinese remarks included “language that they use when their bottom line is pretty close to being reached”, said Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
华盛顿战略与国际问题研究中心(CSIS)的中国问题专家葛莱仪(Bonnie Glaser)表示，中方此次异常直率的表态包含“他们在底线就要被触及时会使用的措辞”。
North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch last month, triggering a UN Security Council resolution and tough new sanctions.
朝鲜在今年1月进行了第四次核试验，并在上月发射了一枚远程火箭，促使联合国安理会通过决议、对该国实施严厉的新制裁。
But with the wording of last week’s resolution vague, the US and China have diverging interpretations about what it means. The US has taken it as a commitment to tough measures aimed at isolating Pyongyang economically, while Beijing — which has been the conduit for most of North Korea’s foreign trade — has said it will only enforce sanctions specifically targeting Pyongyang’s ability to make weapons.
但是，由于上周联合国决议的措辞有些含糊，美中两国对决议的含义产生了不同的解读。美国认为，决议是要各方致力于采取严厉措施来从经济上孤立朝鲜，而中国——一直充当着朝鲜大部分对外贸易的管道——则表示，它将只执行那些专门针对朝鲜武器制造能力的制裁。
“Blind faith in sanctions and pressure . . . are not a responsible approach for the future of the Korean peninsula,” said Mr Wang.
“一味迷信制裁和施压……实际上是对半岛的未来不负责任，”王毅说。