US says China accepts need to get tough on N.Korea

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ST. LOUIS - China agrees that “strong measures” are needed against North Korea over its reported nuclear test, a White House official said on Thursday after a senior Chinese envoy met President George W. Bush.

China sent its former foreign minister, Tang Jiaxuan, to Washington to make the case for a measured response to North Korea as it resisted some elements of a package of sanctions Washington is pushing at the United Nations.

J.D. Crouch, White House deputy national security adviser, acknowledged the “possibility for some differences” over the specifics of the U.S.-proposed a U.N. Security Council resolution.

But he said there was a “broad understanding” with China over the way forward and said the details would be negotiated.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061012/ap_on_re_as/koreas_nuclear

By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer
55 minutes ago



UNITED NATIONS - Russia and China on Thursday opposed tough sanctions the U.S. wants to impose against North Korea this week for its claimed nuclear test, saying they want more time to work out a more moderate response to Pyongyang's nuclear brinkmanship.


The United States and Japan, which has already imposed tough unilateral sanctions on the North to protest the reported test Monday, had initially hoped for a U.N. Security Council vote on Thursday. But if Washington wants to get China and Russia — the two council nations closest to Pyongyang — on board, a vote could be delayed until early next week.

China, the North's closest ally, opposes any mention of the U.N. Charter's Chapter 7, which authorizes punishments including economic sanctions, naval blockades and military actions. China and Russia want to see sanctions focus primarily on reining in North Korea's nuclear and weapons programs.

Beijing and Moscow also object to the wide scope of financial sanctions and a provision authorizing the inspection of cargo going in and out of North Korea, council diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because talks are private. There is concern among some diplomats that boarding North Korean ships could lead to a military response from the North.