South Korea and China's foreign ministers met yesterday to discuss how to dissuade Pyongyang from apparent plans to launch a long-range missile test, as the US called on Pyongyang to declare its intentions.
South Korea's Ban Ki-moon and China's Li Zhaoxing (
Ban's aides did not give any additional details, Yonhap said.
US President George W. Bush said in Washington that North Korea should heed warnings by China and other nations not to test the ballistic missile.
Bush called on North Korea to declare "what they have on top of that vehicle and what are their intentions."
Recent intelligence reports that have said North Korea may be fueling a Taepodong-2, one of its most advanced missiles, at a launch site on the country's northeastern coast. The missile is believed to be capable of reaching parts of the US.
"I have made clear to our partners on this issue -- that would be Japan and South Korea and China and Russia -- that we need to send a focused message to the North Koreans and that this launch, you know, is provocative," Bush said on Monday.
"The Chinese have delivered that message to the North Koreans," Bush said. "And we would hope that the leader in North Korea listened to the Chinese."
China, a key provider of aid to impoverished North Korea, is believed to be the only country that has considerable leverage with the hardline regime of Kim Jong-il.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi headed to the US yesterday for talks with Bush on the North Korean ballistic missile issue, plus terrorism, security and the economy.
Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi indicated on Monday that Koizumi and Bush were expected to agree to press North Korea to immediately abort preparations for a missile launch, Kyodo News agency reported.
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