Beijing China, a key ally of North Korea, on Friday appealed for ” calm and restraint” from the international community after Pyongyangs failed rocket launch drew strong condemnation from the US and its allies, PTI reports.
Reacting
cautiously to the failure of rocket launch of its close ally, it called on all ” relevant sides” to maintain calm and restraint in a bid to avoid any move that could escalate the tensions in the region.
China hopes all relevant sides can maintain ” calm and restraint” in the wake of a failed satellite launch by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea ( North Korea), the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said.
” China stresses that the maintenance of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in north eastern Asia is a common responsibility of and in the interests of all sides,” he said, without elaborating whether Beijing would counsel Pyongyang not to resort to much speculated attempt to carry a nuclear test to cover up the satellite failure.
The international community, including the US and Asian nations have condemned it as a ” provocative” act threatening regional security.
” North Korea is only further isolating itself by engaging in provocative acts, and is wasting its money on weapons and propaganda displays while the North Korean people go hungry,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
South Korea described it as clear breach of the UN resolution.
” North Koreas launch… is a clear breach of the UN resolution that prohibits any launch using ballistic missile technology. It is a provocative act threatening peace and security,” Foreign Minister Kim Sung- Hwan said in Seoul.
Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura also condemned the launch, regardless of the fact that it had failed.
” Even if it was a failure, it is a grave provocation to our country and other countries concerned and violates UN Security Council resolutions,” he said in Tokyo.
China has not taken any overt diplomatic move to prevail upon its long- term strategic ally not go for the satellite launch despite appeals from US, Japan and South Korea who alleged that it was nothing but an attempt by North Korea to test its missile.
After North Korea announced its plan to launch the satellite, China has time and again expressed its concern and worry.
” We have kept close communications with the DPRK, Russia, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan for a while,” Liu said, adding ” Under the current circumstances, we will continue to coordinate with all sides in an effort to jointly maintain regional peace and stability”. after Korea rocket failure South Korean people watch a TV screen showing a graphic of the rocket launch Russia, India seek restraint Amid global concern over the North Korean rocket launch, India, China and Russia on Friday sought ” maximum restraint” against any escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula and said that Pyongyangs nuclear issue should be settled through ” political and diplomatic means”. Foreign Ministers of the three countries held discussions on key regional and international issues, including situation in Iran, North Korean rocket launch and terrorism during a trilateral meet.
