China voices concern over Korean peninsula

BEIJING (AFP) - China voiced its concern Tuesday over what it said was an increasingly uncertain situation on the Korean peninsula, where close ally North Korea is pushing ahead with plans for a rocket launch.
China’s foreign ministry made its strongest public comments on the recent spike in tensions surrounding North Korea shortly after the isolated nation’s premier, Kim Yong-Il, landed in Beijing for a five-day visit.
While the North insists that the launch, scheduled for April 4-8, is for a communications satellite, the United States believes the real aim is to test a long-range ballistic missile that could, in theory, reach Alaska.
“At present, the situation on the Korean peninsula is rather complicated with an increasing number of uncertain factors,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.
Qin was responding to a question about China’s position on the launch as well as stalled six-nation talks aimed at dismantling the communist nation’s nuclear programmes.
China is regarded as having influence on North Korea because it is one of its closest allies and most important trading partners, as well as being chair of the nuclear negotiations.
Kim was due to meet with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao during his trip, which both sides have promoted as part of celebrations for the 60th anniversary of relations between the northeast Asian neighbours.
However, they have steered clear of the security issues when discussing the reason for Kim’s trip. North Korea has resisted pressure from the United States and its allies to call off the rocket launch and warned that any attempt to shoot it down would be regarded as an act of war.
At the same time, it has also stepped up its rhetoric against South Korea, even sporadically closing off access to a key joint industrial complex.
Despite Qin’s comments, analysts said China was unlikely to pressure North Korea too heavily over the rocket launch and the nuclear talks during Kim’s trip. “The Chinese have more influence (on Pyongyang) than anyone else, but the North Koreans are going to do what they want to do,” said Daniel Pinkston, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group.