China will not allow war or instability on the Korean Peninsula, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.
"The Korean Peninsula is right on China's doorstep. We have a red line, that is, we will not allow war or instability on the Korean Peninsula," Wang said at a press conference on the sidelines of China's annual parliamentary session.
"I believe this is also fully in the interest of the south and north of the peninsula and in the common interest of the whole region," Wang added.
The minister also called for an early resumption of the six-party talks.
Wang used metaphors while expounding on China's stance on the current situation.
"If I may use some metaphors, I believe, we need to climb a slope, remove a stumbling block and follow the right way."
Describing the nuclear issue as the "crux of the matter," Wang said,"First, we need climb the slope of denuclearization. Only with denuclearization can the Korean Peninsula have genuine and lasting peace."
"No matter how long or steep the slope is, we must work persistently without any stop," he added.
Secondly, the parties need to work hard to remove the stumbling block of mutual mistrust, said Wang.
There is serious lack of mutual trust between the parties, especially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States, he added.
The minister attributed "sustained tensions on the peninsula and several disruptions to the six-party talks" to the stumbling block.
He called upon all parties to "exercise restraint, show good will and build mutual trust little by little."
Third, the parties must follow the right way forward, which is dialogue, said Wang, pointing to the six-party talks as "the only dialogue mechanism acceptable to all the parties."
"Confrontation can only bring tension, and war can only cause disaster. Equal-footed dialogue, consultation, and negotiation is the only right way forward," he said.
"As the host country, we hope there can be an early resumption of the six-party talks. Some dialogue is better than none, and better early than later," Wang added.