China declines to accuse N Korea over torpedo

[Zegtelzegtel Profile]

Published: May 30 2010 16:01 | Last updated: May 30 2010 16:01



China declines to accuse N Korea over torpedo


China on Sunday resisted international pressure to blame North Korea for sinking a South Korean warship, and instead called for restraint on the Korean peninsula.


Speaking in South Korea, Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, said China’s main concern was stability following a March torpedo attack that sank the Cheonan warship, and claimed the lives of 46 South Korean sailors

“The most urgent task now is to reduce the impact of the Cheonan incident to ease tensions and avoid a clash,” Mr Wen told a news conference following a summit with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts.

South Korea, the US and Japan want China to take a strong public stance over the incident, which represented the deadliest North Korean attack on the south for more than two decades.

However, China says it has not concluded who was responsible for the attack. During the summit, Mr Wen gave no indication of how China would respond when the issue is brought to the United Nations Security Council.

South Korea and the US have provided China with technical details on the sinking and have offered further information. Seoul also says it is open to a visit from any Chinese technical team that may wish to inspect the shattered hull and corroded torpedo, which it says was fired from a North Korean submarine.

South Korean officials admitted before the summit they had little hope Beijing would publicly condemn its communist ally. Instead, they expected to begin talks aimed at persuading China not to veto a strong condemnation of North Korea at the Security Council.

While Seoul is leaving open the option of further sanctions, officials admit that North Korea is already so heavily sanctioned over its missile and nuclear weapon programmes that any further measures would have little practical effect.

On Friday, a South Korean government spokesman quoted Mr Wen as saying that Beijing would not protect “whoever sank the ship”. However, Mr Wen did not strike such an encouraging tone for the South Koreans when he spoke directly himself.

Yukio Hatoyama, Japanese prime minister, has supported South Korea’s assertive response to the sinking, calling the attack “provocative” and “unforgivable”.

Mr Hatoyama has authorised a plan to restrict cash remittances to North Korea from ethnic Koreans in Japan, long an important source of foreign currency for Pyongyang. Japan will require travellers to North Korea to declare cash holdings exceeding Y100,000 ($1,110), down from the current Y300,000. Electronic remittances exceeding Y3m will also have to be declared, down from Y10m.

Japan has been seeking to increase economic pressure on North Korea since Pyongyang tested a nuclear weapon last May. In addition to toughening scrutiny of remittances, the Japanese parliament is working on a bill that would allow Japanese coast guard patrols to inspect North Korean cargo ships in international waters – a policy supported by a Security Council resolution last year but complicated by Japan’s pacifist constitution.

South Korean officials have played down the possibility of a conflict with North Korea, despite heated rhetoric from Pyongyang, in an effort to reassure investors.

Wi Sung-lac, South Korea’s most senior diplomat on North Korean affairs, told investors before the talks that the road to condemnation at the UN could be long. He also warned against expecting any “tangible” results at the summit, being held on the resort island of Jeju.

Analysts disagree over what motivated North Korea to fire the torpedo at the South Korean warship. The theories range from Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader, trying to cement support with the military ahead of a succession in the hermit regime, to efforts to take revenge over a naval battle in November which saw on of North Korea’s ships badly damaged

[Govtslave Profile]

Smart move by China. They know that condemning North Korea will only serve to reinforce those that want to beat the war drums and inflame the situation; especially in the absence of specific and credible facts. By doing this, they avoid being manipulated on the world stage.