White House Claims Beijing Now Views North Korea as Threat to Chinese Security

The White House said Wednesday that Beijing has turned from supporting North Korea to observing it as a threat to Chinese security.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Donald Trump is confident in China’s assistance against the threat posed by North Korea because Beijing has started to view Pyongyang as challenging its interests, a senior White House official said on Wednesday.

"What’s different about how China’s viewing the problem in North Korea today is that China’s viewing that problem as a threat not only to US interests and security or South Korean or Japanese interests and security, but also a threat to Chinese interests and security," the official stated.

The situation on the Korean peninsula aggravated since North Korea carried out a number of missile launches and nuclear tests in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

On April 16, Pyongyang conducted a missile test, which was called unsuccessful by the South Korean defense officials.

On April 5, North Korea launched a ballistic missile from Sinpo, South Hamgyong province, in the direction of the Sea of Japan.