China, Japan, S. Korea warn N. Korea off atom test

(Beijing) – China, Japan and South Korea warned North Korea that they will not tolerate further nuclear tests as the South Korean President amid fears said that Pyongyang is preparing a third atomic blast.
Lee Myung-Bak made the remark after talks in Beijing with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda that also saw the trio decide to start free-trade area negotiations before the end of this year.
“Our three countries agreed that we will not accept further nuclear tests or further provocations from North Korea,” Lee told reporters after meeting with his two counterparts for 90 minutes.
Noda called on the three countries to strengthen co-operation in order to “further prevent provocations” by North Korea in future.
Wen had warned earlier that the region faced many “unstable” factors that made the situation hard to predict.
“The various parties need to use their wisdom, keep patient, and display goodwill to the greatest extent so as to ease confrontation and return to the right track of dialogue and negotiations,” the Chinese premier said.
The three leaders also agreed to start talks this year on a free-trade area, saying it would boost the economies of the entire region.
The issue has been on the trilateral agenda for the past decade, beginning with an agreement among the three in late 2002 to launch a feasibility study on a free-trade area.