Beijing: China shied away on Tuesday from endorsing sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear test, saying that the UN should "take positive" measures to encourage disarmament.
China's Foreign Ministry vented its anger against its Communist ally over the test for a second day, with a spokesman saying that relations had been harmed.
"The nuclear test will undoubtedly exert a negative impact on our relations," the spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said at a routine media briefing. Liu said Monday's test was done "flagrantly, and in disregard of the international community's shared opposition."
But Liu urged diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis and said that the time was not right for punishment, much less military action.
"What we should discuss now is not the negative issue of punishment," Liu said. "Instead, the international community and the UN should take positive and appropriate measures that will help the process of de-nuclearisation on the Korean peninsula."
As a UNSC member, China holds a decisive say over how stern a punishment the international community can mete out to North Korea. A South Korean envoy, returning to Seoul from Beijing, said on Tuesday that China had dropped its previous opposition to tough sanctions.
However, Liu would not confirm this and did not respond directly to repeated questions on whether China would block or endorse UN sanctions against the regime. He said that China was conferring with other Security Council measures over possible next steps.
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