BEIJING:
China on Monday denied any
political motive in the cancellation of
flights by its flag carrier to **rth Korea, as pressure mounts on Beijing to help curb Pyongyang’s ******* programmes.
State broadcaster CCTV reported last Friday that Air
China had suspended its Beijing-Pyongyang route, leading to speculation the move was intended to pressure the **rth. But foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang distanced his government from the decision and said it was purely "market-based".
"It’s natural for Air
China or other airlines to make such decisions," Lu told a regular press briefing. "There shouldn’t be overinterpretation of this issue." Beijing is Pyongyang’s only major ally and biggest trade partner. It is being urged by the Trump administration to do more to rein in the **rth’s missile and nuclear ******* programmes.
In February
China an**unced it was halting all imports of coal from **rth Korea -- a crucial earner for Pyongyang -- for the rest of the year. A customer service representative for Air China, the only foreign carrier operating a regular commercial flight to **rth Korea, said on Monday it had cancelled the
flights due to low demand.
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