Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Ship sinking overshadows start of East Asia meeting
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Ship sinking overshadows start of East Asia meeting
Reuters - Sunday, May 16
Send
IM Story
Print
By Jack Kim
GYEONGJU, South Korea - China sought on Saturday to cool South Korea's exasperation with Pyongyang, which is widely believed to have torpedoed one of the South's warships two months ago, killing 46 sailors.
Officials are being tight-lipped about blame until the result of an investigation into the sinking of the Cheonan is announced next week.
In the South, unofficially there is little doubt that its isolated neighbour attacked the navy corvette near their disputed sea border in March.
"We explained where the investigations are at the current stage," Kim Young-sun, South Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said after talks between the Chinese and South Korean foreign ministers.
"The Chinese side commented that it had expressed its condolences for the unfortunate incident on several occasions in the past and listened to our explanations."
The talks were held on the sidelines of an East Asia conference between the top diplomats from China, Japan and South Korea.
China, the North's only major ally, irritated major trading partner South Korea earlier this month by hosting the reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on a rare trip abroad -- before the outcome of the investigation was announced.
Seoul, its relations with the North in a deepening chill, had been hoping China would try to rein in its unruly neighbour.
But a number of analysts believe China is so nervous about a collapse of the impoverished state that it is prepared to prop up Kim's government at almost any cost.
Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified source as saying Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi had urged a measured response against whoever may have been behind the attack.
" stressed the importance of conducting a scientific and objective investigation," the source said.
Senior South Korean officials declined to detail Yang's comments at the meeting in the ancient capital of Shilla, the Buddhist kingdom that ruled the Korean peninsula in the first millennium.
South Korea knows it cannot launch a retaliatory strike against the North without risking greater conflict and undermining its own economy, which is just recovering from the global financial slump.
But it does want international punishment of the North. That would likely mean even tougher sanctions by the United Nations, which would need China's support to take effect.
There is media speculation in South Korea that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Seoul later this month in a show of support over the sinking.
China last year joined the international community in U.N. Security Council sanctions against the North for a defiant nuclear test, hurting Pyongyang's once lucrative arms trade that was a key source of scarce hard cash.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Pakistan holds two over funding Times Square plot Reuters - 26 minutes ago
Australian finishes round-the-world sail at age 16 AP - 47 minutes ago
US men on trial in Pakistan deny terrorism charges AP - 1 hour 7 minutes ago
Japan prosecutors quiz ruling party kingpin - media Reuters - 1 hour 34 minutes ago
Thai PM defends deadly army crackdown in Bangkok AP - 1 hour 43 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
Portugal takes more austerity measures
EU's Barroso calls on G20 to agree bank levy
Portugal announces more austerity measures
Boy survivor of Libya air crash 'stable but confused'
Asia steps into Cannes spotlight
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Boy survivor of Libya air crash 'stable but confused'
Portugal takes more austerity measures
Scientists stunned as grey whale sighted off Israel
Pope rallies priests as crowds flock to Fatima
Asia steps into Cannes spotlight
More Most Viewed »
Scientists stunned as grey whale sighted off Israel
Aliens may exist but contact would hurt: Hawking
Lack of sleep linked to early death: study
UN fears 'irreversible' damage to natural environment
Freddie Mac asks for fresh 10.6 billion dollar bailout
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Saturday, 15 May 2010 Jewish settlers shoot dead Palestinian youth
US-TECH Summary
Bombers attack soccer game in north Iraq, 8 dead
Jewish settlers shoot dead Palestinian youth: police
|
Portugal takes more austerity measures
Google to stop selling smartphone on the Web
Iraq election recount found no signs of fraud
Former UK minister stabbed at his office
|
Russia to sell Syria warplanes, air defence systems
Libya crash boy's family blog becomes a memorial
Iran frees Iraqi soldier in border incident
|
TiVo win set aside by appeals court; shares drop
Five dead in clash with South Sudan rebel general: army
|
Algeria earthquake kills two: report
|
Cuban court throws out jail sentence for dissident
|
Thai troops battle protesters as crisis deepens
Big Afghan offensive must overcome deadly terrain
Clashes in Kyrgyzstan kill 1, injure more than 60
Timeline of events in Thailand's political crisis
Thai troops, protesters clash in capital; 8 killed
China school attacks highlight mental health
Google to stop selling smartphone on the Web
|
Crisis looms in Nepal as political divide sharpens
Protesters say NATO attack killed Afghan civilians
Suspected rebels kill 1 police officer in India
Libya crash boy's family blog becomes a memorial
|
Violence surges in Indian Kashmir after decline
Google proposes remedies in Italy antitrust case
|
Hauppauge soars on TV streaming app for iPad, iPhone
|
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Tokio Hotel guitarist falls ill after taking Viagra
Police uncover plot to kill Indonesia's president
NBC cancels long-running crime show "Law & Order"
Russell Crowe snaps over Irish Robin Hood accent
|
NBC cancels long-running crime show Law & Order
|
Tokio Hotel guitarist falls ill after taking Viagra
|
Five dead in clash with South Sudan rebel general
Russia to sell Syria warplanes, air defence systems
Fighting spreads in Thai capital, 16 dead
|
Ruling could have chilling effect on P2P services
Iran frees Iraqi soldier in border incident
Google says mistakenly got wireless data
Clinton says Lula faces uphill climb in Iran
Beer, betrayal, a lost iPhone in Apple device tale
Chinese man sentenced to death for school stabbing
|
TiVo win set aside by appeals court; shares drop
Nigeria president pledges better security in delta
|
Hauppauge soars on TV streaming app for iPad, iPhone
Middle Eastern Money Transfer System Investigated in Times Square Bomb Case
Chavez orders money changer raids for currency crash
|
Google proposes remedies in Italy antitrust case
U.S. Markets Fall On Friday, But Finish Week Higher
IMF board okays $1.13 billion in aid for Pakistan
|
China Foxconn worker falls to death, seventh this year
|
Study: Hispanic High School Dropouts Lag Behind In Getting GED
Consumer Sentiment Rises Less Than Expected In May
Federal Raid On NY Drug Gangs Nets Dozens
Former Football Star Forbidden From Prom
Fort Lauderdale Police Officer Arrested With Drugs In Patrol Car
J.C. Penney Q1 Profit More Than Doubles
New Album Details Revealed For Kylie Minogue's New Album "Aphrodite"
Mother, Stepdad Of Slain Boy To Be Charged In Utah
Teacher apologizes for recorded beating of student
5 private security guards die in Afghanistan
Australian teen completes round-the-world sail
Beer, betrayal, a lost iPhone in Apple device tale
|
Clashes, blasts for 3rd day in besieged Bangkok
Weather forecast for the Asia-Pacific region
Google says mistakenly got wireless data
|
HK democracy activists make final appeal for votes
New Bangkok street clashes after 16 killed
Big Afghan offensive must overcome deadly terrain
Bangkok battles: 16 dead in clashes, explosions
IMF board okays $1.13 billion in aid for Pakistan
IMF board okays $1.13 billion in aid for Pakistan
Nashville pulls together to weather the storm
Fund-raising sites offer new options to musicians
Hit show "Glee" spreads the joy with stage tour
Rolling Stones revisit their days in Exile
|
Minimalist drama "Here and There" right on target
English actress accuses Polanski of abuse in 1980s
|
Billboard singles reviews: Eminem, Ozzy Osbourne
Wall Street a powerfully told sequel
|
NBC cancels "Heroes," "Mercy" and "Trauma"
Bret Michaels announces May 28 comeback gig
Billboard singles reviews: Eminem, Ozzy Osbourne
|
Gene Simmons says KISS costume prevents "grinding"
Hit show Glee spreads the joy with stage tour
|
"Wall Street" a powerfully told sequel
Minimalist drama Here and There right on target
|
Gene Simmons says KISS costume prevents grinding
|
NBC cancels Heroes, Mercy and Trauma
|
Sudan army says killed 108 Darfur rebels
Sudan army says killed 108 Darfur rebels
|
UK airspace may close due to volcanic ash
|
Sole Libya crash survivor returns home to Netherlands
|
Atlantis Takes Off In Last Of 3 Missions
Gaza rally raises Palestinian reconciliation hopes
|
87-Year-Old Woman Arrested For Selling Crack
UK PM Cameron has talks with Afghan leader Karzai
|
US Chamber Of Commerce Chief Blasts Arizona Law, Urges More H1B1 Visa
Bulgarian National In Mulit-million Dollar Money Laundering Scheme
Iran says conditions right for nuclear fuel deal
|
Greece pledges corruption clean-up of politicians
|
Ship sinking overshadows East Asia meeting
|
AP-GfK Poll flashes mixed signals for parties
At least 30 militants dead in Afghan, NATO raids
Univision forum held on Arizona's immigration law
China court sentences to death school attacker
Suspected militants kidnap 60 in NW Pakistan
Militants kidnap about 60 in Pakistan tribal area
Ship sinking overshadows start of East Asia meeting
Medical worker shot, feared killed in Bangkok clash
Clashes, blasts for 3rd day in besieged Bangkok
Indian state to airlift supplies amid blockade
Ruling could have chilling effect on P2P services
|
2 suspects still at large in Indonesia terror plot
British director Leigh's Another Year at Cannes
|
Fund-raising sites offer new options to musicians
|
Nashville pulls together to weather the storm
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights