World News
China’s Flagship Carrier Air China ‘to Suspend Flights to North Korea
–
BEIJING – Air China, the only Chinese carrier with regular services to North Korea, will suspend flights between Beijing and Pyongyang from Monday, China Central Television reported on Friday.
No reason was given for the suspension but flights between the two countries have been put on hold in the past due to lack of passengers.
The announcement came hours after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that a conflict over North Korea could break out “at any moment”.
“Lately, tensions have risen … and one has the feeling that a conflict could break out at any moment,” Wang said. “If a war occurs, the result is a situation in which everybody loses and there can be no winner.”
Wang’s pointed assessment followed US President Donald Trump’s statement that the North Korea problem “will be taken care of”, as speculation mounts that the reclusive state could be preparing another nuclear or missile test.
China is North Korea’s sole major ally but it disapproves of the North’s weapons programs, and its confrontations with the United States and its Asian allies, and it has supported UN sanctions against it.
Following repeated missile tests that drew international criticism, China banned all imports of North Korean coal on Feb 26, cutting off the country’s most important export product.
Source: South China Morning Post