BEIJING - Amid signs of mounting tensions on the Korean Peninsula over Pyongyang's nuclear and weapons programs, China has remained calm and seems reluctant to use strong words of criticism for its neighbor and long-time communist ally.
Beijing hosted North Korea's Premier Kim Jong-il last week, a visit which came in the middle of an escalating row between the international community and Pyongyang over its plans to launch what it claims is an experimental satellite but that the United States and South Korea maintain is a ballistic missile test.
Regional powers have warned the launch will trigger international sanctions that could lead to the collapse of the stagnant North Korean economy and further destabilize the volatile state. But Beijing has retained its poise and continues to urge Pyongyang to cooperate with efforts to resume stalled international talks on dismantling its nuclear programs.
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