China says it supports necessary United Nations response to North Korea test

When asked about South Korea’s announcement, the spokesman, Hong Lei, said China “supports a response from the U.N Security Council on the nuclear test” in an apparent reference to a statement issued by the world body’s highest decision-making body after the test.

South Korea warned the North that the United States and its allies were working on sanctions to inflict “bone-numbing pain” for the test, and urged China to do its part to rein in its isolated neighbour.

“China will join (efforts for) a United Nations Security Council resolution as the fourth North Korean nuclear test is a violation of previous UNSC resolutions and the so-called September 19 agreement”, said Rear. If she hoped that as a result, China would restrain North Korea that promise vanished with last week’s nuclear test. If she hoped China would respond with tough sanctions, she had time to reconsider when, according to the New York Times, President Xi declined to accept her phone calls.

Following its second and third nuclear tests in 2009 and 2013, North Korea launched similar cyber attacks against the South.

Diplomats at a U.N. Security Council emergency session last week pledged to swiftly pursue new sanctions.

Anti-Pyongyang loudspeakers from the South have resumed operations in border districts, while the North is sending batches of propaganda leaflets – severely slandering President Park Geun-hye – to border towns of the Seoul metropolitan area.

Pyongyang has in the past condemned joint US-South Korean military exercises as provocation and preparations for an invasion of the North. It is likely to react angrily to suggestions that its perceived enemies are preparing a first-strike capability.

CNN reported on Monday from North Korea that it had been given access to a man claiming to be an American, who identified himself as Kim Dong Chul, and who said he had been arrested in North Korea on spying charges.

“The fact of the matter is, if there’s one thing I know about the leader of North Korea, it’s that he likes attention”, Ben Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser, told reporters. In the view of China, US-led cooperation on missile defense is the first step toward a military alliance among the three countries.

China is North Korea’s main ally and trade partner but it opposes its bombs, while Beijing’s ties with South Korea have grown closer in recent years.

Burma’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday expressed concern over North Korea’s claim that it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb on January 6.