The Los Angeles Times reports on Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to Seoul to try to ease rising tensions with North Korea over the sinking of the South Korean ship the Cheonan:
Making a three-day visit to South Korea, Premier Wen Jiabao had to navigate between tensions with one of his country’s major trading partners and allegiance to the communist ally China rescued during the 1950-1953 Korean War.
An investigation commissioned by the South Korean government concluded that the Cheonan, a warship that was on patrol in the Yellow Sea when it broke apart March 26, had been hit by a North Korean torpedo. The estranged Koreas have severed communications, blocked each other’s vessels from entering their waters and exchanged threats since the report was released May 20.
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“As a responsible country, China takes serious note of the results of a joint investigation by South Korea and other countries, as well as the reactions of all parties,” the official New China News Agency quoted Wen as telling South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.
