2016年CRI China Expresses Extreme Concern over N. Korea Satellite Launch

 

Speaking at a news briefing on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry¹ spokesman Lu Kang expressed China's extreme concern and called on Pyongyang to exercise restraint.

"We are extremely concerned about this. China believes that North Korea ought to have the right to the peaceful use of space but at present this right has been restricted by Security Council resolutions. In the present situation, we hope North Korea exercises restraint on the issue of launching satellites, acts cautiously and does not take any escalatory steps that may further raise tensions on the Korean Peninsula."

The North notified U.N. agencies on Tuesday of its plan to launch what it called an "earth observation satellite" sometime between February 8 and 25.

Pyongyang has always said that its space program is peaceful.

But the plan triggered worries that the launch could be used as a cover for a long-range missile test by the country, just weeks after its fourth nuclear test on January 6.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, via his spokesman, called on North Korea to refrain from using "ballistic missile technology.

Russia has also issued a statement, urging Pyongyang to seriously consider the consequences.

Japan has placed its military on alert, vowing² to shoot down the rocket if it threatens the country, while South Korea warned the North will pay a "severe price" if it proceeds with a satellite launch that Seoul considers a missile test.

The White House has called for joint³ efforts to prevent the launch.

On Tuesday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russell said the launch, by using ballistic missile technology, would be a serious violation⁴ of its international duties.

He added that the North's announcement of the plan was "an unmistakable slap" in the face to China.

Lashing⁵ out at that accusation⁶, Lu Kang pointed⁷ back at the United States.

"It is only in the years when the six-party talks have stalled and certain countries' create an outcry for constant pressure and sanctions that the DPRK has done nuclear tests once and again. In this sense, the DPRK did slap some countries in the face. As for whose face the DPRK slaps, the country itself knows it well in its heart."

He added that while unable to restrain countries seen as exacerbating⁸ tensions, China would not allow the peninsula to descend⁹ into war.

"We don't hope to see any kind of situation appearing that increases tensions or increases conflict, but if the countries in question insist on doing so then we really can't hold them back. At this point I must emphasize, no matter what, there is one thing that China must declare, as a close neighbor of the peninsula we absolutely will not allow the peninsula to fall into chaos¹⁰ or war."

Lu Kang also confirmed Chinese chief nuclear envoy¹¹ Wu Dawei's ongoing¹² visit to Pyongyang, but declined to give any details.

For CRI, this is Luo Bin¹³.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

5 lashing   

n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The speaker was lashing the crowd. 演讲人正在煽动人群。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rain was lashing the windows. 雨急打着窗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

8 exacerbating   

v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• This pedagogical understretch is exacerbating social inequalities. 这种教学张力不足加重了社会不平等。 来自互联网
• High fertilizer prices are exacerbating the problem. 高涨的肥料价格更加加剧了问题的恶化。 来自互联网

9 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

10 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

11 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

12 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

13 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。