"They [North Korea] have conducted 17 ballistic missile launches this year alone. At least three were intercontinental ballistic missiles, one was an intermediate range ballistic missile, two were so called ‘hypersonic weapons,’ and two were described as a new type of missile for tactical nuclear weapons. The DPRK [the Democratic People's Republic of Korea] is also reconstructing its nuclear testing site in preparation for seventh nuclear test,” Thomas-Greenfield during a UN Security Council meeting.
Moreover, Thomas-Greenfield stressed that the negotiations on the US proposed draft resolutions on new sanctions against North Korea, related to the country’s recent missile launches, is almost complete.
"We are now nearing the end of negotiations on the US proposed draft resolution. And we cannot wait until the DPRK [the Democratic People's Republic of Korea] conducts additional provocative illegal dangerous acts like a nuclear test. We need to speak up now with a strong and unified voice in condemnation of the DPRK behavior," she said.
China Will Not Support US Draft UN Resolution on Sanctions Against DPRK
Beijing will not support Washington’s draft UN resolution on sanctions against North Korea, Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun told reporters also on Wednesday.
"We will not support the current US draft resolution," the envoy said. "We have proposed the other options and discussions are still going on. We certainly hope that we can find a solution avoiding a confrontation in the Security Council."
In turn, the US envoy has also called the joint proposal for a draft resolution by Russia and China "not appropriate" at this time and called upon all member states to join Washington in denouncing the DPRK’s actions in order to "prevent the worst."