China's state-run Global Times newspaper said Thursday that North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear ambitions violates the principles of the Sino-North Korean Mutual Aid and Cooperation Friendship Treaty.
 
The paper made the assessment in an editorial titled, “Is China-North Korea friendship treaty outdated?”
 
The paper quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang as saying earlier on Tuesday that the treaty aims to “promote friendly cooperation between the two countries in various fields and safeguard regional peace and security.”
 
However, the paper said that the North’s “pursuit of nuclear technology has impaired its own security as well as the region's and it has also jeopardized China's national security,” adding that Pyongyang “has violated the principles of the treaty.” The editorial said that “Pyongyang should cherish the treaty and make it one of the foundations for its national security.”
 
The paper said while the treaty firmly opposes aggression, the North has insisted on developing nuclear weapons and conducting missile launches in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, increasing the risks of military clashes with the U.S.
 
The newspaper was apparently trying to emphasize that if a contingency were to occur on the Korean Peninsula due to the North’s development or possession of nuclear weapons, China will not engage in military intervention and that would not be violating the Sino-North Korea treaty’s clause on automatic military intervention. 

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