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China Issues Warning to North Korea
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billywows
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10-Oct-2006 22:11
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China issues warning to North Korea By WILLIAM FOREMAN, Associated Press Writer 09:56AM ET - 10/10/2006 SEOUL, South Korea - China, which holds the key to whether tough U.N. sanctions will be imposed for North Korea's nuclear test, warned its ally Tuesday that the detonation would harm relations, but called on the United Nations to use "positive and appropriate measures." China's Foreign Ministry vented its anger against its communist ally over the test for a second day, with a spokesman saying that relations had been damaged. "The nuclear test will undoubtedly exert a negative impact on our relations," the spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said at a routine media briefing. He said Monday's test was done "flagrantly, and in disregard of the international community's shared opposition." But Liu urged diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis and said that the time was not right for punishment, much less military action. The North, meanwhile, stepped up its threats aimed at Washington, saying it could fire a nuclear-tipped missile unless the United States acts to resolve its standoff with Pyongyang, the Yonhap news agency reported from Beijing. "We hope the situation will be resolved before an unfortunate incident of us firing a nuclear missile comes," Yonhap quoted an unidentified North Korean official as saying. "That depends on how the U.S. will act." The official said the nuclear test was "an expression of our intention to face the United States across the negotiating table," reported Yonhap, which didn't say how or where it contacted the official, or why no name was given. Even if Pyongyang is confirmed to have nuclear weapons, experts say it's unlikely the North has a bomb design small and light enough to be mounted atop a missile. Their long-range missile capability also remains in question, after a test rocket in July apparently fizzled out shortly after takeoff. The Bush administration rejected anew Tuesday direct talks with North Korea and said it would not be intimidated by the reported threat. "This is the way North Korea typically negotiates by threat and intimidation," said U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, who was interviewed on CNN and on CBS' "The Early Show. "It's worked for them before. It won't work for them now." ------------------------ |
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