China does “not condone” talk of South Korea developing nuclear weapons as North Korea prepares for a possible seventh nuclear test, Beijing’s ambassador to Seoul said Wednesday. 

“Whenever there is trouble on the peninsula, there are nuclearization talks,” Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming told reporters Wednesday. “China’s position on this has always been denuclearization and peaceful negotiation.” 

Xing’s statement came after conservative lawmakers called earlier this month for Seoul to deploy tactical nuclear weapons and amid increasing talk about South Korea starting its own nuclear program, partially in response to North Korea’s preparations for a seventh nuclear test.