N Korean nuclear test �intolerable provocation�
AFP
North Koreas claim that it carried out a successful hydrogen bomb test yesterday drew swift condemnation from friends and foes alike, reports AFP from Beijing.
China said it firmly opposes its neighbours actions while NATO condemned the test as a threat to regional and international security.
Several governments promised a firm response as tensions soared, with many calling for further action by the United Nations against North Korea, which is already subject to an array of international sanctions.
The UN Security Council was to hold an emergency session later Wednesday.
China, North Koreas most important diplomatic and economic partner, took a more nuanced stance than others, saying it firmly opposes the test and would summon Pyongyangs ambassador for solemn representations.
It added that dialogue was the only practical way to resolve the relevant issue.
Beijing is Pyongyangs key provider of aid and trade but relations have become more strained in recent years, in part because of North Koreas persistence with its nuclear programme in the face of international condemnation.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has yet to visit Beijing since coming to power following the death of his father four years ago.
We strongly urge the DPRK side to remain committed to its denuclearisation commitment, and stop taking any actions that would make the situation worse, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing, using the Norths official name.
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye described the test as a grave provocation at an emergency meeting of the countrys National Security Council.
The test is not only a grave provocation to our national security but also a threat to our future... and a strong challenge to international peace and stability, she said, calling for strong sanctions on Pyongyang.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slammed it as a serious threat to the safety of our nation.
This clearly violates UN Security Council resolutions and is a grave challenge against international efforts for non-proliferation, he said.
In Washington the White House would not confirm the test, but vowed to respond appropriately to any and all North Korean provocations.
NATO head Jens Stoltenberg condemned the test and said North Korea should abandon nuclear weapons.
The nuclear weapons test announced by North Korea undermines regional and international security, and is in clear breach of UN Security Council resolutions, Stoltenberg said in a statement.
The foreign ministry of Russia, a permanent Security Council member, denounced the test as a flagrant violation of international law and existing UN Security Council resolutions.
Such actions are fraught with the possibility of aggravating the situation on the Korean peninsula, which already has a very high potential for military and political confrontation, it said.
Other veto-wielding Security Council members Britain and France also joined in the chorus of condemnation.
Speaking in Beijing, Britains Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the test was a grave breach of UN Security Council resolutions and a provocation.
Paris labelled the move an unacceptable violation of UN resolutions and called for a strong reaction from the international community.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said her country condemns in the strongest possible terms the test, which confirms North Koreas status as a rogue state and a continuing threat to international peace and security, adding that Canberra would express its concerns to Pyongyang directly and call for stronger UN sanctions.
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