Beijing declares opposition to military action against N.Korea

China's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the Chinese government is sternly opposed to taking military action against North Korea in retaliation for its claim of a nuclear weapon test.

"We do not endorse any military action toward North Korea. We are firmly against that," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a briefing. "Taking military action against North Korea would be unimaginable."

Liu added members of the U.N. Security Council were not considering military force at this point.

He pledged to keep close contact with member countries of the council for follow-up measures on the North's nuclear activity, hinting that Beijing could join international efforts to impose further sanctions on the communist country.

But Liu said any U.N. moves should not contract with three principles -- a nuclear-free Korea, maintenance of peace in Northeast Asia and an immediate resumption of the stalled six-party talks.

"Based on these three important principles, China will decide what measures to take," he noted.

China, one of the closet allies for the North, has hosted the six-party talks, which also involve two Koreas, the United States, Russia and Japan. The disarmament negotiations, however, have been in stalemate since November with Pyongyang protesting U.S. accusations that it is counterfeiting American dollars and trafficking drugs.

Beijing, Oct. 10 (Yonhap News)