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Mao Ning, spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gives a briefing on April 26. (courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China)

The Chinese government has reacted strongly to the joint statement made by South Korea and the US put out after their summit, saying that the two countries should “avoid going further down the wrong and dangerous path.” On the other hand, Japan has welcomed the statement, saying that it will “contribute to the stability in the region.”

The South Korea-US joint statement released on Wednesday commented on “the importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the region.”

In a regular press conference on Thursday, Mao Ning, the spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated, “We urge the US and the ROK to see the true nature of the Taiwan question, follow the one-China principle, be prudent when it comes to the Taiwan question, and avoid going further down the wrong and dangerous path.”

Mao criticized the Washington Declaration, which calls for increased extended deterrence, as increasing tensions.

Mao also called the actions by the US “a result of its Cold War mentality.”

“What the US has done stokes bloc confrontation, undermines the nuclear non-proliferation system and hurts the strategic interest of other countries,” she said. “It has also increased tensions on the peninsula and jeopardized regional peace and stability.”

Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Matsuno Hirokazu. (Reuters/Yonhap)

However, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Matsuno Hirokazu, stated in a regular briefing on Thursday that discussions on strengthening extended deterrence between the US and South Korea will contribute to peace and stability in the region, along with Japan’s and the US efforts to strengthen extended deterrence.

He added that Japan and the US have been discussing measures to maintain and strengthen extended deterrence, including nuclear deterrence. The secretary said that the parties will proceed with practical discussions through various high-level consultations, such as the Japan-US extended deterrence dialogue and the Japan-US 2+2 (defense and foreign ministers) meeting.

By Choi Hyun-june, Beijing correspondent; Kim So-youn, Tokyo correspondent

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]