United Press International:
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (UPI) — The United States is not ruling out the possibility of further sanctions against North Korea in the wake of a SLBM launch.
But as provocations continue, the view from Washington is increasingly at odds with Pyongyang’s closest neighbor, China.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Wednesday the United States continues to be concerned about North Korea’s provocative and destabilizing behavior.
In light of recent events, Washington cannot completely rule out the possibility of additional “pressure” against Pyongyang, Earnest said, adding North Korea is a “rather unique place, and it’s not clear that [sanctions] will work in exactly the same way.”
The White House spokesman also defended THAAD deployment in South Korea and said the U.S. missile defense system is not the cause for concern that China has claimed it to be.
China disagrees with the U.S. position on THAAD and has repeatedly opposed its deployment.
In Beijing on Thursday, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said THAAD deployment is “not just a U.S.-South Korea issue but a concern for the strategic balance in the region.””
THAAD is “a violation of China’s strategic interests and is undermining the strategic mutual interest between China and the United States,” Wu said, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Wu also said THAAD deployment is the equivalent of the opening of a “Pandora’s box” of new problems.
