On February 23, 2016, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met the press in Washington D.C. with Secretary of State John Kerry of the US, elaborating China's stance on the situation of the Korean Peninsula.

Wang Yi expressed that Secretary of State John Kerry and I once again exchanged in-depth views on the latest progress of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. We hold that in order to safeguard the international nuclear non-proliferation system, we can not accept the DPRK's nuclear and missile program and can not recognize it as a nuclear weapon state. The UN Security Council's consultations on the new resolution concerning the DPRK has made important progress and may reach an agreement in the near future. China believes that the implementation of the agreement will effectively hinder the further advancement of the DPRK's nuclear and missile program. Meanwhile, China reiterates that the UN Security Council resolution is unable to fundamentally resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and all parties will eventually return to the negotiating table.

Wang Yi stressed that as the host country of the Six-Party Talks, China has always been exploring ways and methods to resume the negotiations in a just and objective manner. China proposed the concept to move forward denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula in parallel with transition from armistice to peace according to the latest situation of the Peninsula. We understand that all parties have different views and China holds an open attitude toward this. If any party has a better suggestion, please put it forward for discussion. In the meantime, China holds that the "double-engine concept"is reasonable and practical, which not only conforms to the general direction of the denuclearization of the Peninsula but also accommodates major concerns of all parties in a balanced way. China is willing to discuss with all other parties at a proper time on specific ways and steps to implement the concept.

Wang Yi emphasized that we should pay high attention to the situation on the Peninsula in the next two months since various destabilizing factors there might overlap with each other. China will keep communication and enhance dialogues with other parties to jointly avoid ratcheting up tension, especially avoid misunderstanding and misjudgment, so as to prevent the situation from getting worse and out of control. To achieve this, China once again calls on all parties to take no actions that will further escalate the tension on the Peninsula.