CHINA/JAPAN: China will not comment on South Korean report blaming North Korea for attack on Cheonan vessel while Japan condemns the act
Record ID:
464076
CHINA/JAPAN: China will not comment on South Korean report blaming North Korea for attack on Cheonan vessel while Japan condemns the act
- Title: CHINA/JAPAN: China will not comment on South Korean report blaming North Korea for attack on Cheonan vessel while Japan condemns the act
- Date: 21st May 2010
- Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
- Embargoed: 5th June 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Defence / Military
- Reuters ID: LVA4VW225ACHX9M8XN5FVM2WQGL5
- Story Text: The sinking of a South Korean ship that Seoul blames on North Korea was "unfortunate", Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said on Thursday (May 20), urging maintaining security on the Korean peninsula.
"What I want to point out is that the sinking of Cheonan vessel is a very unfortunate incident. Dealing with this case properly and maintaining the peace and stability of Korean peninsula are the common will among people in this region and also consistent with the interest of all sides," Cui told reporters in Beijing.
A report by investigators, including experts from the United States, Australia, Britain and Sweden, concluded that a North Korean submarine had fired a torpedo that sank the Cheonan corvette in March, killing 46 sailors.
He would not comment directly on this report released earlier on Thursday in Seoul.
China is North Korea's only major political and economic backer. It irked South Korea earlier this month by hosting the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on a rare trip abroad, despite the deadly sinking of the Cheonan off the Korean peninsula's west coast Japan, on the other hand, strongly condemned North Korea for the incident.
"Japan firmly supports South Korea and condemns North Korea's unforgivable provocation against international community," Japanese Cabinet Secretary told reporters following a cabinet meeting hastily held to discuss the South Korean report.
Japan said the findings would make it hard to restart negotiations in denuclearisation talks involving North Korea, South Korea, China, the United States, Japan and Russia.
"It would be difficult to have the six-party talks if the situation stays as it is now," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano told a news conference.
Pyongyang has boycotted the talks since 2008, but North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was reported to have said during a recent visit to China that he was willing to discuss returning to negotiations.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said in a statement that he backed South Korea on the navy ship investigation and said that he would continue working closely with Seoul and Washington for the region's stability.
"North Korea's action is hard to forgive and we strongly condemn it along with the international community," Hatoyama said in the statement. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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