China urges reduction in North Korea tensions before they become 'irreversible'

An undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on March 7, 2017, showing the launch of four ballistic missiles by the Korean People's Army.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

China warned Friday that rising tensions over North Korea must be calmed before they reach an "irreversible and unmanageable stage." Some observers fear that Pyongyang is preparing to conduct its sixth nuclear weapons test. U.S. ally South Korea said that a nuclear test or intercontinental ballistic missile launch would be a "strategic provocation" that would provoke a "powerful punitive measure."

The U.S., which has warned that its policy of diplomatic patience toward North Korea was over, has sent an aircraft carrier group toward the region. North Korea accused the U.S. of "seriously threatening peace" by sending "huge nuclear strategic assets" to the region.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.