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'N.Korea could be delaying nuclear test because of China, Covid'
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IANS | 22 Jun, 2022
North
Korea could be pushing back what would be its seventh nuclear test in
consideration of China's political calendar and its own situation with
Covid-19, a South Korean presidential official said Wednesday.
North
Korea has been reported for weeks to be "preparing for a nuclear test"
at its testing ground in Punggye-ri, with the only remaining step being a
"political decision" by leader Kim Jong-un, Yonhap news agency
reported.
"I think the China variable and the Covid-19 variable
are playing into this," the official told reporters, citing the upcoming
20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in the fall.
"It
appears that North Korea is making a considerable effort out of concern
for the major chaos that would be caused by a seventh nuclear test,
although we haven't been able to verify it," he said.
China is
North Korea's "only major political ally and economic benefactor",
meaning that staging a large provocation ahead of a key political event
could hurt Pyongyang's relations with Beijing.
The other factor behind holding off could be the seriousness of the Covid-19 outbreak in the North, the official added.
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