Japan Press Weekly

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2017 July 26 - August 1 [JCP]

North Korea’s ICBM test affront to global N-ban trend: Shii

North Korea at midnight on July 28 again fired an intercontinental ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan. Reportedly, the missile landed within Japan’s EEZ.

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on July 29 denounced North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile development programs as an affront to the commitment made by 122 countries worldwide in the form of the recently-adopted United Nations nuclear weapons ban treaty.

Shii, in his statement published in regard to North Korea’s reckless provocation, strongly stated that North Korea should refrain from further tests.

Shii referred to the convention prohibiting N-arms adopted with the support of about two thirds of UN member states, and criticized North Korea’s military provocation for “running counter to this global trend”. He stressed that the international community should use this legally-binding treaty as leverage in pressing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons development program.

Shii emphasized that “only through diplomatic dialogue” can this issue be resolved, again underlining the urgent need for “countries concerned to pressure North Korea to give up nuclear weapons and missiles through diplomatic negotiations in parallel with the tightening of economic sanctions against the country”.

The UN Security Council on June 2 adopted a resolution regarding the North Korean issue, “expressing its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic, and political solution to the situation”, calling on State Parties “to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue”.

Past related articles:
> JCP Chair Shii issues statement to welcome the nuclear weapons ban treaty [July 9, 2017]
> Only diplomatic and political efforts will resolve North Korean issue [July 6, 2017]