China warns N. Korea nuke talk parties against exacerbating situation

PanARMENIAN.Net - China called on Saturday, September 19, for all parties involved in talks on North Korea's nuclear program to adopt a responsible attitude and not take any action to exacerbate tension, as it pushed again for a resumption of the stalled negotiations, Reuters reports.

This week, the North announced a plan to fire a long-range rocket that it says is for a space program. It also said it was working to improve its nuclear arsenal.

North Korea is expected to launch an upgraded long-range ballistic missile, which would violate international sanctions, as it prepares to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers' Party of Korea on Oct. 10. Any such launch would violate international sanctions.

"We call on all sides to adopt a responsible attitude toward the peninsula as well as the region of northeast Asia, and never again take any new action that could lead to tensions in the situation there," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told an academic forum on the North Korea talks issue, without directly mentioning any country.

In 2005, North Korea reached an agreement with the United States, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia to suspend its nuclear program in return for diplomatic rewards and energy assistance.

Numerous efforts to restart the talks have failed after negotiations collapsed following the last round in 2008. At the time, North Korea declared the deal void, after refusing inspections to verify compliance.

North Korea has called for the resumption of the talks, but the United States and South Korea have said it must first show it is serious about ending its nuclear program.