Writing in USA Today on May 8, 2017, China's Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai said "China is deeply concerned about the current tension on the Korean Peninsula, which poses a grave threat to our national security.

China has more than 750 miles of borders with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). The DPRK nuclear test site is just dozens of miles away from Northeast China. Any accident, nuclear or military, will have a catastrophic spillover on us". He added that "China has done its utmost for years to help stop the DPRK nuclear program. We voted for all the United Nations Security Council resolutions sanctioning the DPRK for its nuclear tests, and have been faithfully implementing them. Most recently, we suspended coal imports from the DPRK for the whole year. And we will continue to enhance law enforcement along our border with the DPRK".

However, China does not hold the key to the issue." "To break this impasse, China has proposed that the DPRK suspend its nuclear and missile activities, and the U.S. its targeted joint military exercises with the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The two sides should talk to each other". He reiterated that "China’s goals are clear and consistent — a nuclear-weapon-free peninsula, regional peace and stability, and a peaceful means to achieve them. These should be the shared goals that serve the interests of all parties, including the U.S."