China 'concerned' over upcoming U.S.-S Korea joint drill

来源：百度文库编辑：神马文学网时间：2024/04/27 04:19:03

China 'concerned' over upcoming U.S.-S Korea joint drill

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The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday voiced concern over a U.S.-South Korea military drill set to begin Sunday in the Yellow Sea that both countries see as sending a ‘‘clear message’’ to North Korea following its deadly shelling of a South Korean island earlier this week.

“China has taken note of the relevant reports and expresses concern over this,’’ ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular press briefing.

A U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is scheduled to join the four-day drill in waters off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula, where tensions escalated after artillery exchange between North and South Korea on Tuesday, which killed four South Koreans, including two civilians, and wounded more than a dozen others.

The Foreign Ministry had earlier this year expressed its resolute opposition to planned U.S.-South Korea naval exercises in the Yellow Sea, saying the activities undermine China’s security interests.

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Its response Thursday fell short of outright criticism of the joint exercises.

Hong instead stressed that relevant parties should in light of the current situation ‘‘make more efforts to ease tensions and contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”

He also said China is maintaining communication with relevant parties, including Washington, over the situation on the Korean Peninsula and stressed that it was ‘‘imperative and important’’ under present circumstances to restart the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear programs at the earliest date.

"We hope that relevant parties will work together within the framework of the six-party talks and, through dialogue and consultation, properly resolve the concerns of all parties," said Hong. The talks, involving the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan, have been stalled since December 2008.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, in remarks made during a trip to Russia on Wednesday, said China was opposed to any "acts of military provocation," but it was unclear if this referred to North Korea’s shelling of the South Korean island, or to the planned joint naval exercises.

"The situation at hand is serious and complex, relevant parties should maintain the utmost restraint and the international community should make more efforts to ease the tense situation," Wen said in remarks posted on the Foreign Ministry website.

North Korea’s military on Thursday blamed its bombardment of South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island on a "provocation" by Seoul and warned of more military attacks on South Korea, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

Western nations have condemned the attacks as a provocation from North Korea but China has so far refrained from singling the country out for blame.

Hong said he had noted that ‘‘the parties concerned have different views regarding the cause of the incident’’ and urged both countries to ‘‘maintain calm and restraint, and carry out dialogue as soon as possible to prevent a similar incident from repeating.’’

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