CHINA HAD NO ADVANCE WARNING OF NORTH KOREAN MISSILE TESTS THIS WEEK, A CHINESE STATE COUNCILLOR WAS QUOTED ON SATURDAY AS TELLING A GROUP OF JAPANESE LAWMAKERS IN BEIJING, REUTERS REPORTED. ICHIRO AISAWA, A LEGISLATOR IN JAPAN'S RULING LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, ALSO QUOTED STATE COUNCILLOR TANG JIAXUAN AS SAYING A CHINESE DELEGATION WOULD CONVEY HIS GOVERNMENT'S "GRAVE VIEW" OF THE MISSILE LAUNCHES WHEN IT VISITS NORTH KOREA NEXT WEEK, KYODO NEWS SERVICE REPORTED. KYODO HAD EARLIER SAID VICE FOREIGN MINISTER WU DAWEI WOULD PERSONALLY CONVEY THE GOVERNMENT'S VIEW. WU, WHO IS SCHEDULED TO VISIT PYONGYANG AS PART OF THE DELEGATION ON MONDAY, HAS ALREADY MET WITH THE NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR TO CHINA THREE TIMES TO CONVEY CHINA'S POSITION, AISAWA SAID. A SALVO OF MISSILE TESTS BY NORTH KOREA ON WEDNESDAY, INCLUDING THE LAUNCH OF A LONG-RANGE TAEPODONG-2 MISSILE, UNSETTLED THE REGION AND LED TO CALLS FOR THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL TO IMPOSE INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS ON PYONGYANG.
