From the New York Times:
Japan, South Korea and China on Wednesday all condemned North Korea’s missile tests, but regional analysts doubt the launchings will bridge big gaps between the regional powers on how to handle North Korea.
The military exercise strained relations between North Korea and all its neighbors. Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s leader, scoffed at stern warnings from Washington and Tokyo, which have favored a tougher line, and embarrassed Seoul and Beijing, which have used economic and diplomatic incentives to lure the North out of isolation.
But when Christopher R. Hill, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the lead negotiator with North Korea, returns to the region this week, he will find that many of the same rifts that existed before continue to complicate the task of forming a united front. He will also find a region that remains in the throes of disputes that pit Japan against China and South Korea, and that are unrelated to North Korea. [Full text]
See also “After Missiles, Calls Go Out” from the Washington Post and “China, US seek to break deadlock on Korean Peninsula nuclear issue” from Xinhua.
