Deep concern in region as North Korea announces satellite placed in
orbit
Beijing expressed regret over
Pyongyang's launch of a long-range rocket yesterday amid deep concern among its
neighbours.
The Democratic People's Republic
of Korea (DPRK) said it had successfully placed a satellite in orbit.
The launch, just before 10am,
sparked criticism from some countries and triggered plans for an emergency
session of the UN Security Council.
Beijing said any response by the
United Nations should be "prudent and moderate" to avoid escalating
tension.
The successful launch served two
purposes, experts said.
It was a welcome present to DPRK
leader Kim Jong-un, days before the first anniversary of taking power, and also
served as a warning to countries that have pressured or neglected Pyongyang
during the past months.
The DPRK, whose previous launch
attempt in April ended in failure, has stated that the satellite will be used
for peaceful and scientific purposes only, adding that it will abide by
international regulations.
But the United States and its
allies - the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan - view it as a disguised
ballistic missile test banned under UN resolutions triggered by its nuclear
tests in 2006 and 2009.
"We express regret at the
DPRK's launch in spite of the extensive concerns of the international
community," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular briefing
yesterday afternoon.
Hong said Pyongyang has the right
to make peaceful use of outer space but as a UN member "this right is also
subject to the restrictions of UN Security Council resolutions".
Hong said China "believes UN
Security Council reaction should be prudent and moderate and conducive to
maintaining stability and avoiding escalation of the situation".
"China always maintains that
the fundamental approach to the realisation of ensuring peace and stability of
the Korean Peninsula should be through dialogue," Hong said, adding China
hopes countries will remain calm and maintain peace on the peninsula.
China's response echoed a similar
reaction from Russia and followed strong condemnation from the US.
The Japanese government said
yesterday the rocket passed over its southern island chain of Okinawa around 12
minutes after liftoff.
The timing of the launch seems to
have caught some observers by surprise.
Japan expected that the launch
would happen next week, after DPRK space officials said that scientists were
considering "readjusting" the timing of the launch.
The DPRK had taken down part of
the rocket on its launch pad to fix a technical problem.
"It is impossible for the
rocket to lift off from the same launch pad in such a short period of
time," Eya Osamu, a specialist on Korean affairs at the Organisation for
Asian Studies at Waseda University, said in a TV interview.
"The information collected
by Japan, the US and ROK is questionable," Pyon Jin-il, editor-in-chief of
Korea Report, said.
So far, no missile parts have
been found in Japanese territory. Tokyo did not activate the Japan-US joint
missile defence system, which is designed to intercept incoming missiles.
Jin Canrong, deputy dean at the
School of International Studies at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said
the launch's timing was significant.
The successful launch has also
boosted Pyongyang in its rocket rivalry with Seoul, Jin said.
Late last month, the ROK
suspended the launch of its space rocket carrying a satellite after an
abnormality was detected in the second stage of the rocket.
The move is also aimed at
exerting pressure on the ROK, which insists on setting preconditions for
dialogue with the DPRK, and Washington, which has "neglected"
Pyongyang under US President Barack Obama, Jin said.
Jin said Washington is likely to
seriously push for further sanctions against Pyongyang.
Huang Youfu, a professor of
Korean studies at the Minzu University of China, said "the timing also
aims to exert pressure on Japan and the ROK" as both will hold elections
in December.
"The incident will bring
more instability to the region, giving the US and other nations another excuse
to increase their military presence and hold military exercises," he said.
Masao Okonogi, a professor of
Korean politics at Keio University, told AFP that the launch would thrust
Pyongyang close to the top of Washington's national security agenda.
"Putting a satellite into
orbit means that you have the technology to get a warhead to a targeted area.
Now the DPRK is becoming not only a threat to neighbouring countries, but also
a real threat to the United States," Okonogi said.
"The question is whether the
satellite was precisely put into the planned orbit or veered off."
US and ROK officials said it
would take time to fully analyse the launch.
The UN Security Council was due
to meet later yesterday to discuss its response to the launch, with the US and
its allies demanding a significant expansion of sanctions.
Zhang Yunbi and Liu Yedan in
Beijing and AFP contributed to this story.
Li Xiaokun and Cai
Hong
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