Leaders of allies press China over Cheonan sinking

TORONTO -- Leaders of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan pressed China on Sunday to join the condemnation of North Korea for its alleged torpedo attack on a South Korean warship, while Beijing continued to underscore peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

During his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the G20summit, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak stressed the need for “appropriate international cooperation” to prevent further North Korean provocations.

“As North Korea’s continued provocation poses a grave threat to the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Asian region, appropriate international cooperation is necessary to prevent recurrence (of provocation),” Lee was quoted by his aides as telling Hu.

Hu responded that Beijing disapproves of any act that disrupts peace on the peninsula but did not directly blame North Korea, according to Seoul’s presidential office.

”I fully understand South Korea’s position. Let’s continue close consultations in the process of responding (to the issue) at the U.N. Security Council,” Hu was quoted as saying. 　

Earlier Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama criticized China’s “willful blindness” in being reluctant to acknowledge North Korea’s culpability for the sinking of a South Korean warship.

President Lee Myung-bak (center, front row) and other leaders of G20 nations wave at the end of their two-day summit in Toronto on Sunday. Yonhap News