China, Japan, S.Korea in talks ahead of N Korea rocket
S Korea: The foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea
met Sunday in the Chinese city of Ningbo for talks on regional security
and cooperation days ahead of a planned North Korean rocket launch.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Japan’s Koichiro Gemba and South
Korea’s Kim Sung-Hwan posed for photographers before starting talks in
the eastern city near Shanghai.
Receiving his guests Saturday, Yang said “China is concerned and
worried about the latest development on the Korean peninsula,” according
to the official Xinhua news agency.
“It is in the common interest of all sides to maintain peace and
stability on the Korean peninsula and realise long-term peace and
stability in northeast Asia,” Yang said. “China hoped all parties
involved would keep calm and exert restraint,” Yang was reported as
saying.
Beijing is Pyongyang’s main ally.
North Korea angered the United States and its regional allies Japan
and South Korea with its announcement last month that it would launch a
rocket between April 12 and 16, which it says is to put a satellite into
orbit for peaceful purposes.
Washington, along with Tokyo and Seoul, regard it as a disguised
ballistic missile test that would be in breach of UN resolutions and has
called for Pyongyang to abandon its planned launch.
Japan has rejected an invitation from North Korea to send observers
to attend the rocket launch, which is part of celebrations to mark the
100th anniversary on April 15 of the birth of founding leader Kim
Il-Sung.
AFP
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