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31 May 2010
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China urges easing Korea tensions
The Wall Street Journal Asia, Monday, May 31, 2010
China urges easing Korea tensions – Leader of China, Japan and South Korea on Sunday left their annual summit meeting divided on how to deal with North Korea’s alleged sinking of a South Korean warship. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao didn’t give a clear signal whether his country would support South Korea’s effort to penalize North Korea at the United Nations Security Council for destroying the Cheonan in March. China, as one of five permanent members of the council, can veto any action. “What is most pressing right now is to gradually ease any tension created by the Cheonan incident, and we should avoid a clash,” Mr. Wen said at a news conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. The three countries have long worked together to prod North Korea into giving up its pursuit of nuclear weapons. But they have at various times taken different approaches to working with Pyongyang economically. Now, South Korean is responsible for the sinking of its Cheonan warship has become the most urgent security matter in the region. Forty-six South Korean sailors died in the March 26 incident. South Korean plans to refer the matter to the U.S. Security Council as soon as this week. Mr. Hatoyama on Sunday said that is a “natural course” after such an incident and encouraged South Korea to proceed.
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