ALERT: Did North Korea Shoot Down Malaysian Airline Aircraft?
March 08 2014
The Chinese government has told North Korea of its “deep concern” after an aircraft from China Southern Airlines crossed the trajectory of a North Korean missile launched by Pyongyang this week.
The aircraft was flying from Tokyo’s Narita airport to the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said. While it passed over the trajectory some minutes after the missile, the incident was a reminder of the fraught nature of international relations around the Korean peninsula.
“On this issue, we have already contacted the North Korean side to convey our deep concern,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a daily news briefing.
Call for restraint
“If any country is to hold training or exercises, it should take measures in accordance with international practice to ensure the safety of civil [facilities] in relevant airspace and maritime space,” Mr Qin said, calling on all parties to exercise restraint.
North Korea is low on friends and China is the isolated state’s most significant diplomatic and economic supporter, though Beijing’s patience with the country to which it once said it “was as close as lips and teeth” has been severely tested following three nuclear tests and various missile launches against China’s will.
Makes no sense whatsoever.