Rising tensions over North Korea matter of concern for Russia China

Tensions arising on the Korean peninsula after a North Korean missile test on Sunday has become a matter of concern for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Putin’s spokesperson told.

Meeting on the sidelines of an international forum in Beijing, Putin and Xi “discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula in detail” and “both parties expressed their concern over the escalation of tensions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Xi told in the meeting that Moscow and Beijing have played the role of a “ballast stone” in protecting regional and global peace and stability, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency.

Xinhua did not publish other remarks.

Putin and Xi met after the opening ceremony of a summit on the Chinese president’s One Belt, One Road initative. The initiative is a massive global trade infrastructure project in order to connect China to Asian neighbours, Europe and Africa.