Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said he believes the ballistic missile and nuclear threats posed by North Korea could be addressed in a peaceful manner as the economic and diplomatic pressure campaign advances, DoD News reported Thursday.
Dunford told reporters in Beijing Thursday the unanimous vote by the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on North Korea was the initial step to help stop the East Asian country from conducting ballistic missile tests.
“The passage of the sanctions is step one, enforcement of those sanctions are what is most important,†he added.
The sanctions include a ban on North Korean exports worth $1 billion and a cap on the number of the country’s migrant workers.
He also noted about the commitment of China – North Korea’s ally and largest export market – to enforce UN sanctions.
Dunford held a three-day visit to China to discuss military relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials and is scheduled to leave for Tokyo to meet with Japanese leaders.
