CHINESE Premier Wen Jiabao today warned the United States against launching a preemptive strike on a suspected North Korean missile launch site.| This is not exactly curbing their dog. |
Australian Prime Minister John Howard asked Mr Wen today to persuade North Korea not to act provocatively. After their talks, Mr Wen urged all sides to maintain calm. "We follow closely the information showing that there might be a possible testing launch of a missile in (the People's Republic of Korea) PRK and we are following the situation very closely," Mr Wen said through a translator. "We hope that the various parties will proceed from the greater interest of maintaining stability on the Korean Peninsula and refrain from taking measures that might worsen the situation on the peninsula."
| And there it is -- the Chinese won't do anything to stop Kimmie, and they'll be real unhappy if we do ... |
Mr Wen and Mr Howard discussed the North Korean situation and Iran's nuclear program during almost an hour of private talks in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen this morning.
Mr Howard would not speculate on whether the US would intercept any missile: "Except to note that all countries are entitled to look after their own position".
"No country in the world has a greater influence on North Korea than China has and I'll be encouraging the Chinese leadership to encourage the North Koreans to pull back and not to behave in a provocative fashion," Mr Howard said.