Chinese officials said North Korea "disregarded universal opposition of the international community," CNN reported.
"We strongly urge North Korea side to face up to the firm will of the international community on the denuclearization of the peninsula, abide by relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, stop taking wrong actions that exacerbate the situation and are not in its own interest, and return to the track of resolving the issue through dialogue," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Mike Chinoy, a senior fellow at the U.S.-China Institute, said North Korea’s timing was a “deliberate poke in the eye.” The Chinese are currently hosting an economic summit with Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, CNN reported.
"The Chinese have been pressing North Korea very hard not to stage a nuclear test," Chinoy told CNN. "It's a deliberate gesture of non-respect. And I think what it shows is that Kim Jong Un is extremely confident that he can provoke and push across the board without risking the kind of sweeping retaliation that would inflict enough pain upon him and his system that would force him to change his tactics."
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