SEOUL: China has expressed "serious
concern" to its ally North Korea about a planned rocket launch, a US
official said on Monday after talks between President Barack Obama and
President Hu Jintao.
The
leaders met a day after Obama made an unusually blunt appeal to Beijing to get
tougher with Pyongyang.
Numerous
nations have strongly criticised the launch set for mid-April. The
nuclear-armed North insists it will only put a satellite into orbit, while its
opponents say it will test missile technology that could deliver a warhead.
China,
the North's sole major ally and its biggest trade partner and aid provider, is
seen as one of the few nations that can influence the regime.
"The
two leaders agreed to coordinate closely in responding to this potential
provocation and registering our serious concern to the North Koreans and, if
necessary, consider what steps need to be taken following a potential satellite
launch," said Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser.
Given
China's influence, Obama "felt it was very important for us to be working
closely with China and for China to be sending a very strong message to North
Korea", Rhodes said.
The
Chinese "have indicated to us that they take this very seriously, that
they've registered their concerns with the North Koreans," he told
reporters.
Beijing
would work actively with Washington and other six-party talks members "to
make clear to the North Koreans the very grave concerns that the international
community has if they go forward with this provocative act".
The
now-stalled six-party forum, grouping the two Koreas, Russia, China, the US and
Japan, has been trying since 2003 to negotiate an end to the North's atomic
weapons programme.
Obama
and Hu met before the start of a nuclear terrorism summit in South Korea which
has been overshadowed by the launch and by Iran's suspected attempts to develop
nuclear weapons.
Obama
made it clear on Sunday that he did not believe China's approach to its wayward
neighbour was bearing fruit.
It was
not working for China to turn "a blind eye to deliberate provocations,
trying to paper over these not just provocative words but extraordinarily
provocative acts that violate international norms", he said.
The US
and many other nations say a launch would breach UN resolutions. Washington
says it also violates a US-North Korean deal reached only last month, which
offered US food aid in return for a partial nuclear freeze and a missile test
moratorium.
On
Iran, Rhodes said Obama and Hu welcomed upcoming diplomatic efforts by the P5
plus One group to end the nuclear standoff.
"We
of course underscored that we need to move forward with a sense of urgency in
these talks," he said.
The
five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are trying to
broker a solution but Obama warned earlier Monday that "time is
short".
On
Sudan, the US and Chinese leaders agreed to stay coordinated "and send a
clear message to both sides they need to make efforts to cease violence",
Rhodes said.
Obama
and Hu, holding their 11th meeting, were attempting to keep ties stable despite
domestic political turbulence in both nations. A new generation of leaders is
poised to assume power in China and Obama is fighting for re-election.
Obama
must watch his flank as his likely Republican foe Mitt Romney lacerates his
policy towards Beijing, seeking to exploit a perception among blue-collar
voters that unfair Chinese trade practices are costing US jobs.
Hu
entered the Obama meeting against a backdrop of intrigue ahead of the 18th
Communist Party Congress later this year, expected to enshrine Xi Jinping as
China's next leader.
Their
meeting came after China's Communist Party leadership was rocked by a rare
scandal. Bo Xilai, leader of the Chongqing metropolis, was sacked after a key
aide reportedly tried to defect to the United States.
"I
think the summit meeting is very important for both countries, especially on
the domestic side, given the election year in the US and the political
earthquake surrounding the removal of Bo Xilai," said Zhu Feng, professor
of international relations at Peking University.
"There
needs to be an exchange of views on how bilateral relations can stay the same
without too many disruptions over election politics and domestic factors,"
he said.
-
AFP/de
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