CHINA: Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao tells a news briefing that North Korea had ignored international opinion in carrying out the nuclear test, which he said had damaged bilateral relations

China said on Tuesday (October 10) it was taking active steps to encourage North Korea to return to talks on ending its nuclear programme and was against the option of war a day after Pyongyang said it had conducted a nuclear test. Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news briefing that North Korea had ignored international opinion in carrying out the test, which he said had damaged bilateral relations. "The DPRK (North Korea) disregarded the common position of the international community and recently conducted a nuclear test. China firmly opposes this, and this act by the DPRK side has impacted the DPRK-China relationship. We will continue to work to develop good neighbourly relations with the DPRK, but we hope that this relationship will be based on the common interests of the two countries and on the basis of maintaining peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia as a whole," said Liu Jianchao (pron: lee-oh djee-ehn chah-ow). Liu blamed the test for increasing tensions in the area, and urged Pyongyang to return to six-party talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear weapons programmes. "We have seen that due to the nuclear test of the DPRK, Northeast Asia and the situation on the Korean Peninsula has witnessed more tension in comparison with the past. We should seriously handle the situation. Meanwhile we think the DPRK should honour its commitment for denuclearisation and halt any moves that will worsen the situation, and come back to six-party talks as soon as possible," said Liu. When asked whether China would be willing to consider invoking Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which could lay the groundwork for military force, Liu said war was not a possibility. "From the perspective of China, we are firmly opposed to war as a means to resolve the nuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. This is our firm position. It is known to the whole international community. And for the second question, China has been long dedicated to good neighbourly and friendly relations with the DPRK. This remains unchanged. We don't need to deny that the nuclear tests by the DPRK has a negative impact on our relations with the DPRK, and we hope the DPRK will give a positive response to the appeal of the international community and honour its commitment to denuclearisation and refrain from any act that may worsen the situation," said Liu. North Korea has said it refuses to resume six-nation talks on ending its nuclear arms programmes until the U.S. releases accounts frozen in a Macau-based bank that Washington suspected were linked to illegal activities such as counterfeiting. The United States has in recent months intensified the crackdown, making it more difficult for North Korea to do banking anywhere in the world. Liu said that the dispute ought to be resolved swiftly with the larger picture of Pyongyang's nuclearisation on the table. "The investigation was conducted by the Bank of Macau, and we hope this issue is resolved as soon as possible no matter how it is going to be resolved. This issue poses an obstacle to the resumption of six-party talks, and we hope that it can be resolved as soon as possible. Compared to the issue of the nuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula we should be quite clear as to which is more important, so we hope all parties will bear in mind the overall interest of the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and peace and stability," said Liu. China said all was normal at the border between the two nations. "Now the border between our two countries is normal and there are no abnormal activities going on there," said Liu Jianchao. Liu added that there had been no sign of atmospheric pollution from the test. "Competent authorities and the relevant department in China have been closely following the possible impact of the DPRK's nuclear test, and up to now we have not found any pollution impact on China," said Liu. China welcomed the recent formal nomination of South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as U.N. secretary-general. "We are pleased to see and we welcome the unanimous recommendation of the UN Security Council of Mr. Ban Ki-moon as the next UN Secretary-General. We look forward to the ratification by the UN General Assembly," said Liu. The 15-nation U.N. Security Council voted by acclamation behind closed doors, thereby effectively anointing Ban as successor to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, whose 10 years in office ends on December 31. Ban's six rivals had withdrawn from the race earlier.

ITN Source | October 10, 2006

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