The New York Times reports on the investigation into the sinking of the South Korean ship the Cheonan:
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met over dinner with Dai Bingguo, a state councilor of China who oversees foreign affairs, and raised the South Korean government report that formally accused the North of torpedoing the ship, the Cheonan, in March, killing 46 sailors.
“We want them to take some steps in the international arena to underscore the seriousness of the matter,” said a senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting. But he added, “We have to be realistic about what we can expect.”
The Chinese government, the official said, was still digesting the findings of the investigation, which was aided by the United States and other countries. China has reacted with extreme caution, waiting for days to express sorrow to South Korea for the loss of the crew and expressing skepticism about North Korea’s role.
For more on Hillary Clinton’s visit to China, see “Hillary Clinton in China: a juggling act over North Korea, Iran” from the Christian Science Monitor. See also: “Clinton backs South Korea’s crackdown on North Korea over sinking of warship” from the Washington Post.
