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DATE=9/1/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-237966
TITLE=CHINA / KOREAN MISSILE (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  
INTRO:  CHINA IS CALLING FOR NEGOTIATIONS TO END TENSIONS CAUSED 
BY NORTH KOREA'S LAUNCH OF A BALLISTIC MISSILE OVER JAPAN AND 
INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN MONDAY.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ROGER 
WILKISON REPORTS A CHINESE SPOKESMAN SAYS HIS COUNTRY -- ONE OF 
NORTH KOREA'S FEW ALLIES -- WAS  NOT  INFORMED OF THE TEST 
BEFOREHAND.
TEXT:  FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ZHU BANGZAO -- SPEAKING THROUGH
AN INTERPRETER -- SAYS BEIJING HOPES WHAT HE CALLS "THE PARTIES 
CONCERNED" WILL ENTER INTO CONSULTATIONS TO PREVENT THE MISSILE 
LAUNCH FROM WORSENING TENSIONS IN NORTHEAST ASIA.
                  /// FIRST INTERPRETER ACT ///
 THE CHINESE SIDE HOPES THE PARTIES CONCERNED COULD SOLVE THIS 
PROBLEM PROMPTLY, THROUGH CONSULTATIONS, SO AS TO SAFEGUARD PEACE
AND STABILITY ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA.
                         /// END ACT ///
BUT MR. ZHU DID NOT SAY WHO THE PARTIES CONCERNED ARE AND WHETHER
OR  NOT  THEY INCLUDE CHINA.
HIS REMARK WAS CHINA'S FIRST REACTION TO MONDAY'S MISSILE TEST, 
WHICH WAS SHARPLY CRITICIZED BY JAPAN AND ALSO DREW EXPRESSIONS 
OF CONCERN FROM THE UNITED STATES, SOUTH KOREA AND RUSSIA.  
CHINESE NEWS MEDIA HAVE  NOT  FEATURED ANY REPORTS ON THE LAUNCH,
ALTHOUGH THE FOREIGN SERVICE OF CHINA'S OFFICIAL XINHUA NEWS 
AGENCY DID CARRY NEWS OF THE TEST AND THE CONCERNS IT SPARKED 
AMONG OTHER NATIONS.
ASKED FOR CHINA'S REACTION BY REPORTERS AT A NEWS BRIEFING, MR. 
ZHU SAID BEIJING HAD TAKEN NOTICE OF THE REPORT.
                 /// SECOND INTERPRETER ACT ///
                 AT PRESENT, THERE ARE SOME CHANNELS FOR 
                 CONSULTATION BETWEEN VARIOUS PARTIES ON THE 
                 KOREAN MISSILE ISSUE.
                         /// END ACT ///
BUT THE CHINESE SPOKESMAN DID  NOT  SPECIFY WHAT THOSE CHANNELS 
ARE,  NOR  DID HE SAY WHETHER BEIJING WILL TRY TO EXERCISE 
WHATEVER INFLUENCE IT MAY HAVE OVER PYONGYANG TO DEFUSE TENSIONS 
STEMMING FROM THE TEST.
CHINA CONTINUES TO REGARD NORTH KOREA AS AN ALLY, BUT IT HAS 
MOVED CLOSER IN RECENT YEARS TO SOUTH KOREA, NOW A MAJOR TRADING 
PARTNER AND SOURCE OF INVESTMENT FOR BEIJING.   (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/GC/FC/WTW
01-Sep-98 5:41 AM EDT (0941 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.