China and Russia on Friday called for diplomatic resolution
regarding Pyongyang's missile launch crisis amid Japan's push for
sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK).
China believes that instead of seeking sanctions against
Pyongyang, the UN Security Council can best make a unanimous and
firm response to DPRK's missile launch "through a presidential
statement with strong messages", said Wang Guangya, Chinese
Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Besides such strong messages, the UN Security Council, as the
most important world organization, should take actions responsibly
by taking into account all possible negative consequences that they
might lead to, said Wang.
"All actions taken by the Security Council, if we are going to
take one, would be conducive to the diplomatic effort which is now
underway," said the Chinese diplomat.
Earlier, Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Russia had
"serious concerns" over DPRK's actions.
But he voiced Russia's opposition to sanctions, saying "in my
mind we could consider the format of a presidential statement."
He urged all parties to be "clear-headed" and keep in mind the
need for talks to achieve a diplomatic solution.
Japan presented a draft Security Council resolution on Friday
that seeks sanctions against the DPRK.
The draft, co-sponsored by Britain, France and the United
States, invokes Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which authorizes
sanctions or even military action.
The text of the draft said that "member states shall take those
steps necessary to prevent missiles and missile-related items,
materials, goods, technology being transferred, including through
intermediaries, to end users in or supplying DPRK's missile and
weapons of mass destruction programs."
Demanding that Pyongyang should "immediately cease the
development, testing, deployment and proliferation of ballistic
missiles and re-establish its preexisting commitments to moratorium
on missile launching," it also calls on member states to "take
those steps necessary to prevent the procurement of missiles or
missile-related items, goods and technology from the DPRK."
Kenzo Oshima, Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations, said
his delegation would ask for a vote on the draft on Saturday. But
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said that did not necessarily mean a
vote would take place on Saturday.
Diplomats might hold off voting until next week to give more
time to diplomatic efforts, observers here said.
Earlier on Thursday, the DPRK Foreign Ministry said in a
statement that the latest missile launches were part of the routine
military exercises staged by the DPRK army for upgrading the
nation's military self-defense capacity.
(Xinhua News Agency July 8, 2006)
