Clinton seeks Chinas support over ship sinking
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked for China's cooperation Sunday in Washington in rebuking North Korea for its torpedo attack on a South Korean warship, Yonhap News reported in Washington Sunday.
"And today we face another serious challenge, provoked by the sinking of the South Korean ship," Yonhap quoted Clinton as telling the opening session of the two-day Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Beijing, according to a transcript released by the State Department. "So we must work together, again, to address this challenge and advance our shared objectives for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."
She described the sinking of the Cheonan near the sea border with North Korea as "a matter of urgent concern," and took note of China's support last year "to pass and enforce a strong UN Security Council resolution in the wake of North Korea's nuclear test."
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak earlier in the day said his government will bring the Cheonan incident to the U.N. Security Council, suspend inter-Korean economic ties and bolster national defense.
Clinton discussed the Cheonan issue with Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo over dinner in Beijing, but Dai said China was not yet convinced that North Korea is responsible, according to reports.
China is North Korea's staunchest communist ally and the biggest benefactor to the impoverished North, which relies heavily on Beijing for food, energy and other necessities.
A key to imposing additional sanctions on North Korea as one of five veto-wielding powers on the U.N. Security Council, China has either been lukewarm to or diluted efforts by the U.S. and its allies to sanction North Korea for its nuclear and missile tests.
An international team of investigators last week officially blamed the March 26 ship sinking on a torpedo fired by a North Korean submarine. The naval disaster killed 46 South Korean sailors.
North Korea has denied involvement, describing the probe outcome as a "fabrication" and threatening to wage an all-out war if punished or sanctioned.
Clinton called on North Korea to stop provocations and fulfill its denuclearization pledge.
"We asked North Korea to stop its provocative behavior, halt its policy of threats and belligerence towards its neighbors, and take irreversible steps to fulfill its denuclearization commitments, and comply with international law," she said.
The Cheonan incident is likely to be at the top of the agenda during the annual two-day strategic dialogue in Beijing attended by Clinton, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and their Chinese counterparts. The dialogue was originally set around the possible revaluation of the Chinese currency, bilateral trade and other economic issues to cope with the global economic downturn.
Clinton will fly to Seoul on Wednesday to meet with President Lee, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and other officials over what she discussed with Chinese and Japanese officials over the ship sinking and other issues of mutual concern.
While in Tokyo on Friday, Clinton warned North Korea of consequences for the Cheonan incident.
"I think it is important to send a clear message to North Korea that provocative actions have consequences," Clinton said after meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada. "We cannot allow this attack on South Korea to go unanswered by the international community."