China Pressures N Korea

China said on Thursday that it was very concerned about a potential missile test by North Korea and urged greater action by all parties to resolve the issue.

"We are very concerned about the current situation," said Jiang Yu, a Chinese Foreign Ministry official said at a regular briefing. "We hope all parties can do more in the interest of regional peace and stability."

Jiang said China would also "continue to make constructive efforts."

The missile crisis stems from intelligence reports that have said the North is possibly fueling a Taepodong-2 missile with a range experts estimate could make it capable of reaching parts of the United States.
Washington on Wednesday staunchly rejected Pyongyang's request for direct talks, saying threats weren't the way to seek dialogue.

It's good to see China on the right side of this issue.
From Strategy Page,

China has, for the first time, threatened to halt essential fuel and food supplies if North Korea went ahead with a ballistic missile test. China has used this threat sparingly, because China is North Korea's most reliable supplier, and loss of these items could cause chaos in North Korea. China doesn't want that, because the result would be millions of North Korean refugees trying to get into northern China.



North Korea's economy is a wreck. Kim Jong Il's worker's paradise is military based and his people will starve without outside help. It looks like the communist dictator will have to find a new toy.