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China, N. Korea hold 2nd meeting on planned rocket launch

By REUTERS

MARCH 20, 2012 05:53

BEIJING - Chinese and North Korean officials have held their second meeting in five days to discuss the North's planned rocket launch, state media said late on Monday, suggesting Beijing may be increasing pressure on Pyongyang against the launch.

But the isolated regime showed no signs of abandoning its plans for the launch which it says will carry a satellite, but which the United states and others say is the same as a ballistic missile test, which is banned under UN resolutions.

On Monday, China's envoy for the Korean nuclear dispute Wu Dawei met with the North's vice foreign minister Ri Yong-ho in Beijing, state television reported.

In a terse statement outside of China's state guesthouse, Wu said he exchanged opinions with Ri on protecting peace and stability on the peninsula and on promoting the process to return to six-party talks.

When asked about the launch he said: "We also had thorough discussions about this issue".

North Korea's Ri, speaking to Chinese media, repeated the North's stance that a satellite launch is part the North's sovereign right to space development, adding it intended to move ahead with the United States on the aid agreement.

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