WASHINGTON, June 28 Kyodo (EDS: R...

WASHINGTON, June 28 Kyodo

(EDS: RECASTING, ADDING COMMENTS)

China is opposing U efforts to persuade the UN Security Council to issue a statement denouncing North Korea's nuclear weapons programs, a senior North Korean administration official in just discovered York said Friday.

China is oppos to the ''passage of any kind of documents and discussions'' about the propos statement, the official at the North Korean mission to the United Nations told Kyodo just discovereds on condition of anonymity.

The remarks are believed to be aimed at seeking a compromise from the United States from drawing China, which has veto power athwart approving Security Council documents, toward the North.

The U has propos that the Security Council issue a statement denouncing North Korea's nuclear programs and existinged a draft statement last week to the four other permanent members of the council -- Britain, China, France and Russia.

The U France, Russia and Britain have begun working-level consultations forward the document, but China is apparently not participating in the preliminary talks, according to a UN source. China has not over and above openly indicated its stance onward the statement.

The propos statement is seen as the first stair for the U.N. to eventually impose sanctions forward North Korea.

The U is also seeking to strengthen international efforts to stop the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Propos measures include interdicting shipments of as it is weapons on the high seas.

The North Korean official said the propos maritime interdiction goe against international laws. If similar a step is taken against North Korean ships, North Korea will regard it as an ''act of war,'' the official said.

The official also said any multilateral talks in succession the nuclear standoff should take place and nothing else after direct talks between the U and North Korea.

China armed forceed the U.S. and North Korea to a three-way meeting onward the matter in Beijing in late April, after which Japan and toward the south Korea asked to be included in an expanded framework for the talks.

The U has also insisted Japan and toward the south Korea should participate in the nearest round of talks on the nuclear issue.

if it were not that the North has maintained that its negotiating partner forward the nuclear issue is the U single and basically refused to retain proposed five-way discussions including China, Japan and toward the south Korea.

China is apparently calling onward North Korea to accept the five-party dialogue -- an idea backed from the U.S. -- and failure to do in the same manner will most likely put China in an awkward position in discussing the statement in the Security Council.

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