China says U.N. resolution necessary

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BEIJING, March 7 (UPI) -- China, in a frank statement, said the U.N. Security Council's new sanctions against North Korea were a "necessary and moderate response" to its nuclear test.

Responding to Thursday's unanimous approval by the Security Council of Resolution 2094, condemning North Korea's third nuclear test on Feb. 12, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said: "China supports the U.N. Security Council's necessary and moderate response to the nuclear test of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea [North Korea's official name]," China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Qin also said the resolution reflected the international community's opposition to the DPRK's nuclear test and promises to resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue by peaceful means, while reaffirming the resumption of the Six-Party talks. The North's two earlier nuclear tests were in 2006 and 2009.

"Overall, it is balanced," Qin said.

The Six-Party Talks, currently stalled after North Korea walked out, called for the denuclearization of the isolated, impoverished Communist country in exchange for massive aid. Besides North Korea, others in the talks are South Korea, Japan, China, Russia, and the United States.

China, which has been pressing for the resumption of the talks, had condemned the North's February nuclear test although it is its main ally. It had reached a deal with the United States prior to the passage of the latest U.N. resolution.

Besides tightening existing sanctions, Resolution 2094, the fourth such against the North, also demanded North Korea against conducting any more nuclear tests, give up any nuclear arms program and return to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Six-Party Talks. The new resolution would check the North's cash transfers, impose asset freezes and travel bans on three individuals and two firms linked to North Korea's military.

The Chinese spokesman also urged relevant parties to refrain from taking any action that could escalate tensions.

Earlier, China's U.N. Ambassador Li Baodong said Resolution 2094 has a long-term goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and called it "a very important step."