North Korea: Japan yesterday drew back from putting a resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea to a vote in the United Nations Security Council but insisted that it had not given up hope of winning support for such a measure.
The United States, Britain and France are backing the Japanese initiative but China and Russia favour a weaker council statement rather than a binding resolution.
Beijing and Moscow argue that a UN resolution is inappropriate because, even if North Korea's test launches of missiles last week were provocative, they were not in breach of any international treaty or law.
Japan decided against putting its resolution to a vote yesterday when China indicated that it would veto the measure and asked for the vote to be postponed until later this week.
Japanese cabinet secretary Shinzo Abe said China's support was essential for passing the resolution, which seven other nations are co-sponsoring.
"We will need to continue our collaboration with countries related to express the will of international society at the United Nations Security Council. We are appealing to China at every possible opportunity," he said.
Although Washington wants a UN resolution, it is focusing its efforts on bringing North Korea back into six-party talks with China, Russia, Japan, South Korea and the US, which Pyongyang left last year.
North Korea says it will not return to the talks until the US agrees to release $24 million in North Korean assets that were frozen in a Macau bank after Washington accused the bank of helping North Korean counterfeiting and money-laundering efforts.
Washington's chief negotiator on North Korea, Christopher Hill, said in Seoul that by focusing on the bank freeze, Pyongyang was seeking to distract attention from the missile tests.
"To change the subject from this rather reckless activity on their part back to an issue of illicit activities, which I would argue are also reckless, is simply not appropriate," Mr Hill said.
South Korea, which has been pursuing an intensive political and economic dialogue with North Korea, opposes any move to impose sanctions on Pyongyang and President Roh Moo-hyun has accused Japan of contributing to tensions on the Korean peninsula.
"There is no reason to fuss over this from the break of dawn like Japan, but every reason to do the opposite," a statement from his office said.
Japanese officials have stepped up the pressure on North Korea by discussing the possibility of a pre-emptive strike against the communist state, a move Mr Abe said could be consistent with Japan's constitution.
"If we accept that there is no other option to prevent an attack . . . there is the view that attacking the launch base of the guided missiles is within the constitutional right of self-defence. We need to deepen discussion," he said.
Japan's post-war constitution bars the use of military force in settling international disputes and prohibits Japan from maintaining a military for warfare but the country has a 240,000-strong "self-defence force".
A Chinese delegation arrived in North Korea yesterday for a ceremony to mark 45 years of friendship between the two countries.
Beijing has suggested that Pyongyang could attend an "informal" meeting of the six-party talks, thereby keeping its official boycott intact.
Mr Hill questioned the strength of China's influence over North Korea, which is officially called the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
"I must say the issue of China's influence on DPRK is one that concerns us. China said to the DPRK, 'Don't fire those missiles', but the DPRK fired them. So I think everybody, especially the Chinese, are a little bit worried about it," he said.