China says diplomacy needed to rid Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons

BEIJING – Denuclearization of the Korean peninsula should be achieved through peaceful and diplomatic means, China's foreign ministry said on Monday, as the United Nations discusses fresh sanctions against North Korea following its latest nuclear test.

At a regular news briefing, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated China's call for more steps by the UN Security Council, saying he hoped its members could reach consensus.

A US-drafted resolution originally called for an oil embargo on the North, a halt to key textile exports and financial and travel bans on leader Kim Jong Un, but appears to have been watered down.