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Obama urges China to join int'l bid to condemn N. Korea for ship sinking
By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, June 27 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama called on China Sunday to join international efforts to rebuke North Korea for the torpedoing of a South Korean warship.
"I think there's a difference between restraint and willful blindness to consistent problems," Obama said at a news conference in Toronto concluding the two-day G-20 summit. "And my hope is that President Hu will recognize as well that this is an example of Pyongyang going over the line in ways that just have to be spoken about seriously -- because otherwise we're not going to be able to have serious negotiations with the North Koreans."
The transcript of his remarks was released by the White House.
China has yet to blame North Korea, its staunchest communist ally, for the sinking of the Cheonan in the Yellow Sea in March that killed 46 sailors. Pyongyang denied responsibility and threatened an "all-out war" if it is condemned or punished for the incident.
Obama supports South Korea's bid to rebuke North Korea through the U.N. Security Council. China and Russia, two of the five veto-wielding permanent Security Council members, are reluctant to punish the communist regime.
North Korea is already under an overall arms embargo and economic sanctions were imposed after its nuclear and missile tests last year.
"I think President Lee has shown extraordinary restraint given these circumstances," Obama said. "And it is absolutely critical that the international community rally behind him, and send a clear message to North Korea that this kind of behavior is unacceptable and that the international community will continue to step up pressure until it makes a decision to follow a path that is consistent with international norms."
G-8 leaders on Saturday issued a joint communique to condemn "the attack which led to the sinking of the Cheonan" and demanded North Korea "refrain from committing any attacks or threatening hostilities against" South Korea.
It, however, failed to point fingers at North Korea due to Russia's opposition, signaling an uphill battle for Seoul and Washington in pushing the Security Council to punish Pyongyang.
"Our main focus right now is in the U.N. Security Council making sure that there is a crystal clear acknowledgment that North Korea engaged in belligerent behavior that is unacceptable to the international community," he said.
Obama said he understands why China may be reluctant.
"They have a security interest in not seeing complete chaos on the Korean Peninsula or a collapse that could end up having a significant impact on them," he said.
"We'd like to see a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. We'd like to see a North Korea that is a responsible member of the world community -- which would be good for the people of North Korea," he said.
"But that's only going to happen if we're honest about what's taking place right now and if we're honest about our basic expectations of how nations behave in an international order."
hdh@yna.co.kr
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