Russia, China pressure N. Korea over missiles

Russia and China urged North Korea yesterday to head off a looming diplomatic crisis in its nuclear negotiations with the rest of the world after reports that Pyongyang is preparing to test a ballistic missile.

Moscow summoned North Korea's ambassador to explain the US reports which say Pyongyang has prepared a missile for launch, while China urged North Korea and Washington to find a breakthrough in talks over North Korea's missile programme.

The public comments by the veto-wielding UN Security Council members, who usually try to soften Western criticism of Pyongyang, underlined the growing tension over North Korea that has hit financial markets, prompted Japan to muster naval ships and the United States to activate a missile defence system.

"It was stressed that any steps that could negatively impact regional stability and complicate the quest for a way to settle the nuclear problem on the Korean peninsula were undesirable," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

China appealed for calm yesterday and said North Korea's claim to have a sovereign right to test its missiles, and US criticism that a test would violate existing agreements, were making the problem difficult to resolve.

"We hope that the related parties will resolve this problem through negotiations and dialogue," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei said in an interview with South Korea's Mail Business Newspaper.

North Korea said on Wednesday it wanted new direct talks with the United States. Washington rejected the proposal and demanded Pyongyang return to stalled multilateral talks aimed at persuading the North to abandon its nuclear arms programme in return for aid and security promises.

US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said yesterday that Washington was committed to a diplomatic solution and ready for negotiations, and accused Pyongyang of dragging its heels over starting multi-party talks.

"We're having consultations here in New York with other members of the Security Council and other members of the UN about just doing some prudent advance planning," Mr Bolton said. "But for now the first priority, the most important priority, is to try and persuade North Korea not to launch at all."

The United States has been saying for about a week there is evidence North Korea may test-fire its Taepodong-2 missile and yesterday Japan's defence minister said Tokyo had mobilised naval vessels and aircraft to gather information.

"North Korea's diplomacy has basically been one of brinkmanship," Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso told Reuters.

Anxiety over the standoff spooked financial markets, pushing the yen down against the dollar on a rumour - later denied - that a US military plane had crashed in the North. "There is no merit for North Korea" in launching a missile, Mr Aso said in an interview. "We have told them we will take harsh measures if they do it."