SINGAPORE — State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Aug 2 that the declaration of an end to the Korean War is in line with the trend of the times.

“The declaration of the end of the war is in line with the trend of the times and reflects the aspiration of people of all countries, including the two countries on the Korean Peninsula,” Wang told a news conference after the China-ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting.

The Korean Peninsula remains technically at war as the 1950-1953 Korean War ended with an armistice.

Turning the armistice into a peace treaty is however, another thing, the state councilor stressed, adding that such a treaty should be signed by all parties through negotiations.

The efforts by both the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea to move toward that end should be encouraged and supported, he added.

Wang stressed that in dealing with foreign affairs, China always sticks to principles and never makes any deal.

“We will take our position on an issue on its own merits,” he said, adding that China has always insisted on establishing a peace mechanism along with denuclearization of Korean Peninsula as the right direction in resolving the nuclear issue of the Peninsula.

The initiative also suits the common interests of international community, including the United States and the DPRK. China will stick to this basic principle, the state councilor said.