Speaking after strategic talks this week in Beijing, the U.S. officials said China indicated it is prepared to hold North Korea accountable for the March 26 torpedo attack and could join in some kind of formal rebuke by the U.N. Security Council.
The move would represent a breakthrough for the White House, because so far China has resisted condemning North Korea for the incident, which cost the lives of 46 South Korean sailors. China has long been North Korea's patron and ally, propping up Pyongyang's Stalinist-style regime with financial and military aid as well as diplomatic support.
On a visit to South Korea this weekend, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is likely to express regret for the deaths and hint that China will accept the results of an international investigation blaming North Korea, the U.S. officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions with China.
Wen is also expected to leave open the possibility of backing action against Pyongyang at the U.N. Security Council, although it's not clear how far Beijing is prepared to go in rebuking its historic ally.
By MATTHEW LEE,
Associated Press Writer
You might also like this:
Gunmen rob gold shops in Iraqi capital, kill 15
read full story...
30 killed in gunbattles in Jamaican slums
read full story... 
16 Russian tourists killed in Turkey bus crash
read full story... 
Jamaica cops attack drug lord's slum stronghold
read full story... 
Suns bench dominate lakers to win game 4: 115-106
read full story...
Jackson shuts door on Bulls, intrigued by Nets
read full story... 
US loses to Czechs 4-2 on last day before cuts
read full story... 
DeWyze triumphs over Bowersox on `American Idol'
read full story... 
Lohan's ankle bracelet has Breathalyzer technology
read full story...
Nicole Scherzinger wins 'Dancing With the Stars'
read full story... 
Slipknot pays tribute to bassist, but who's who?
read full story... 
Amazon CEO: Color Kindle `still a long way out'
read full story... 
Twitter declines third-party ads on their site
read full story...
Facebook CEO: 'We've made mistakes' on privacy
read full story...
Yankee Stadium bans the iPad
read full story...
No comments:
Post a Comment