'N.Korea could be delaying nuclear test because of China, Covid'

Seoul, June 22 (IANS) North Korea could be pushing back what would be its seventh nuclear test in consideration of China's political calendar and its own situation with Covid-19, a South Korean presidential official said Wednesday.North Korea has been reported for weeks to be "preparing for a nuclear test" at its testing ground in Punggye-ri, with the only remaining step being a "political decision" by leader Kim Jong-un, Yonhap news agency reported."I think the China variable and the Covid-19 variable are playing into this," the official told reporters, citing the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in the fall."It appears that North Korea is making a considerable effort out of concern for the major chaos that would be caused by a seventh nuclear test, although we haven't been able to verify it," he said.China is North Korea's "only major political ally and economic benefactor", meaning that staging a large provocation ahead of a key political event could hurt Pyongyang's relations with Beijing.The other factor behind holding off could be the seriousness of the Covid-19 outbreak in the North, the official added.
--IANS int/shs

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