UNITED NATIONS – China and Russia introduced a resolution Wednesday deploring North Korea’s missile tests but dropping language from a rival proposal that could have led to military action against Pyongyang.
The draft “strongly deplores” North Korea’s missile tests last week and urges Pyongyang to re-establish a moratorium on such launches.
It requests but does not demand that all U.N. members “exercise vigilance in preventing supply of items, materials, goods and technologies that could contribute” to North Korea’s missile program.
The resolution also calls on member nations “not to procure missiles or missile-related items” or technology from the North.
Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya said he had been instructed to veto a much-stronger Japanese resolution, which is supported by the United States, 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; authorizing action under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which can be enforced militarily; and mandatory sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.
The Chinese-Russian draft resolution drops those three elements, which Japan and the United States consider crucial.
North Korea ignited the furor July 5 by test-firing seven missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2 capable of hitting the U.S. West Coast.
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