China says peace, stability in Korean Peninsula serve interests of all

Maintaining peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and promoting the political solution of the peninsula issue serves the interests of all parties concerned, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Monday.

Lin made the remarks at a regular news briefing when asked to comment on reports that US President Donald Trump on Sunday instructed the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with the Republic of Korea (ROK), citing the cost of the drills and Seoul's refusal to take part in actions against Iran.

Trump has long sought to end or curtail military exercises with the ROK while clashing with Seoul over sharing the costs of stationing 28,500 US troops in the ROK and their role in securing the broader region.

In recent years, the drills have shifted away from live-fire exercises to computer-simulated missile and cyberattacks.

The annual joint military exercises began on Monday and are scheduled to continue through August 27. (With input from agencies)