Chinese
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu takes a question at a press
briefing in Beijing, July 6, 2006.
[Xinhua] |
China Thursday warned against any move
to raise tension on the Korean Peninsula after introducing a joint UN resolution
with Russia on Pyongyang's missile tests.
"Under current circumstances, China supports a prudent and proper reaction
from the UN Security Council so as to prevent the escalation of tension and
create conditions for diplomatic efforts," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu
told a regular press briefing in Beijing.
China and Russia introduced a draft UN Security Council resolution on
Wednesday, calling for the early resumption of the Six-Party Talks on the Korean
Peninsula nuclear issue.
Japan, which earlier introduced a tough draft resolution backed by the United
States, Britain and France, welcomed the new draft.
No vote has been scheduled on either draft after China said it would veto the
Japanese document in its present form. A high-level Chinese delegation is in
talks with officials in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after
the launch of seven missiles last week.
Foreign
Affairs Ministers from China, Zhang Yesui, Germany, Franck Walter
Steinmeier, Russia, Serguei Lavrov, France, Philippe Douste Blazy, US
Secretary of State Condelezza Rice, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Secretary Margaret Rice and Javier Solana (L to R) speak with journalist
after a meeting in Paris, July 12, 2006.
[Reuters] |
Compared to the Japanese draft, the Chinese-Russian version does not propose
sanctions or invoke Chapter Seven of the UN charter, which can authorize
sanctions or even military action.
Jiang said the draft showed the two permanent members are taking steps to
ease the tensions.
China holds that UN action should be conducive to maintaining peace and
stability in Northeast Asia, promoting the resumption of the six-nation talks
and safeguarding unity in the Security Council, she said.
"We oppose the Japanese draft which cannot help realize these goals," she
said.
"We hope all parties can make positive efforts in the same direction rather
than aggravate contradictions and complicate the situation."
The Chinese-Russian draft strongly deplores the multiple missile launches by
the DPRK, and calls for a suspension of such tests.
It also calls on all member states to exercise vigilance in preventing supply
of items, materials, goods and technologies the could contribute to the DPRK's
missile programme.
The draft strongly urges the DPRK to return immediately to the Six-Party
Talks without precondition.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters at the UN headquarters in
New York that the new text forms the basis for the Security Council to send a
unified, strong signal to the DPRK.
"It is also good support for ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the
situation," Churkin said. "I don't want to sound too optimistic but I think
there is room for a successful outcome of this process."
Echoing Churkin's remarks, his Chinese counterpart Wang Guangya said the
Chinese-Russian proposal will calm the situation.
"If that (Japanese) draft is put to a vote without any modifications, the
instructions to me are to veto it," he told reporters, the first time he has
announced such an intention.
US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, Washington's nuclear envoy,
said in Beijing yesterday that Washington is likely to give Chinese diplomatic
efforts a few more days. "My sense is we're down to a number of days," he told
reporters.
Hill said that China has so far failed to make headway in its campaign to
bring Pyongyang back to the nuclear talks but Jiang defended Beijing's efforts,
appealing for action by other governments.
"The effort of China alone is not enough," she said. "We hope all parties
concerned can take positive actions and push forward the situation in a positive
direction."
