North Korea: China and Russia unveil rival resolution

China and Russia have introduced a rival resolution to the United Nations on North Korea’s missile tests today that drops language in a US and Japanese-backed measure which could lead to possible future military action against Pyongyang.

The draft “strongly deplores” North Korea’s multiple missile launches and calls on Pyongyang to re-establish a moratorium on missile tests.

It calls on – but does not demand – that all UN member states “exercise vigilance in preventing supply of items, materials, goods and technologies that could contribute” to North Korea’s missile programme.

It also calls on all members “not to procure missiles or missile-related items” or technology from the North.

China’s UN Ambassador Wang Guangya said he had been instructed to veto the much stronger Japanese resolution, which is supported by the US, Britain, France and four other countries.

Wang previously said Beijing objected to three key elements in the Japanese draft: the determination that the missile tests threatened international peace and security, authorising action under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter which can be enforced militarily, and mandatory sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea’s missile and nuclear programmes.

The Chinese-Russian draft resolution drops these three elements, which Japan and the United States consider crucial.

Japan’s UN Ambassador Kenzo Oshima and US Ambassador John Bolton said they were still prepared to put their resolution to a vote – even with the prospect of a Chinese veto.

Oshima called the Chinese-Russian draft “a move in the right direction” but said “a quick glance shows that there are very serious gaps on very important issues.”

“I think it will be very difficult for us to accept that as it is,” Oshima said.

Bolton also cited “deficiencies”, citing the Chinese-Russian draft’s elimination of the reference to the tests as a threat to international peace and its use of the weaker word “calls” rather than “decides” in the Japanese text.

Nonetheless, he said: “We view this as a significant step and think it’s important.”