Despite assumptions to the contrary based on the Wikileaks files, China still seems to be backing North Korea in the UN Security Council. From Reuters:
An attempt by France and Britain to push the U.N. Security Council to condemn North Korea’s uranium enrichment program and its deadly attack on a South Korean island is on the verge of collapse, envoys said.
The reason for the virtual breakdown of talks on two separate Security Council statements to rebuke Pyongyang, U.N. envoys said, is China’s demand for removal of key words and phrases from both texts, leading South Korea to decide that it may be better not to have a council meeting on the issue.
“This afternoon talks on the enrichment issue essentially collapsed and it’s not clear that they can be revived,” a Western diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity on Tuesday.
“Talks on the shelling incident also appear to be stalled,” the diplomat added. “There’s a slim chance that something could be agreed on there, but it’s not looking good either.”