“No one should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gains.”

– Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Sunday, in a statement most regarded as a rebuke to North Korea.

But then…

“Some country has spent hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars creating a situation that cannot be resolved and has eventually withdrawn in a disorganized manner at the same time causing a financial crisis in its own country. Look back on the world’s security situation to the beginning of the new century. There are many ‘hot spots’ and ‘chaotic spots.’  The first of them are Afghanistan and Iraq.”

– a commentary titled “Who Has the Intention to Create Chaos for the World for Selfish Gain?” in the state-run People’s Daily, which generally communicates the official position of the Chinese government. Asia policy expert Gordon Chang thinks the two quotes indicate the Chinese remain an obstacle to dealing with the  North Korean crisis.