North Korean media echoes China's criticism of US
By Jung Da-min
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In an editorial titled "Deteriorating China-U.S. relations," the newspaper dealt with the U.S. 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which restricts Chinese investments in the U.S. and prohibits government organizations from using some services provided by Chinese mobile communication firms like Huawei and ZTE.
The publication also highlighted the Chinese government's strong protest of the U.S. definition of China as a "threat."
Although the North's position was not stated in Rodong Sinmun, the regime's propaganda website Uriminzokkiri on the same day criticized the NDAA for "breaching" the June 12 joint statement following the summit between the U.S. and North Korea.
The Uriminzokkiri article also criticized the U.S. military presence in the South, mentioning that the bill calls for a minimum of 22,000 U.S. troops to be stationed in South Korea. The article also slammed the U.S. plan to establish a new missile defense system.
Meanwhile, tension between China and the U.S. surrounding the peninsula is also increasing, with Trump canceling U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo's visit to the North, blaming China for "changing" attitudes toward the peninsula nuclear issue.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang slammed the U.S. on Saturday, saying the Chinese side was "gravely concerned about this irresponsible act."
Lu also said China supported the U.S. and North Korea seeking settlement of inter-Korean issues in accordance with the consensus reached at the June 12 Singapore summit.