Clinton Calls on China to Help Punish North Korea

26 May 2010

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gestures at a press conference in Beijing, China. Clinton stepped up pressure on China on Tuesday to back international action against North Korea for the sinking of a South Korean warship, calling peace and security on the Korean peninsula 'a shared responsibility' between Washington and Beijing, 25 May 2010.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met with South Korea's president and other top officials, as efforts get underway to rally global support for measures against North Korea. Western investigators accuse the North of a deadly naval attack.

Secretary of State Clinton took a positive approach Wednesday toward what many view as an uphill battle in convincing China to help punish North Korea. "I believe that the Chinese understand the seriousness of this issue and are willing to listen to the concerns expressed by both South Korea and the United States," she said.

A multinational investigative team concluded last week a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine was responsible for sinking a South Korean patrol ship in March, killing 46 sailors. Clinton expressed what she called "greatest admiration" for South Korea's restraint in avoiding an emotional response. She says the thorough and scientific probe it conducted should be helpful in persuading China.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, right, shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during their meeting at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, 26 May 2010