China has expressed its opposition to unilateral sanctions against North Korea on Wednesday as it begins discussions with the U.S. over a new UN resolution following the DPRK’s fifth nuclear test on September 9.

The position of the Chinese government was conveyed by Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a phone call with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.

“With all sides focused on the authoritative channel of the Security Council, China opposes unilateral sanctions that are unhelpful to resolving the issue,” Yi said, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) website.

The comments come after Kishida met with the