China yesterday spurned claims that North Korea might carry out a second nuclear test following the imposition of U.N. Security Council sanctions, saying that “It is mere conjecture.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Jiang Yu said at a regular press briefing, “China hopes that all relate countries will focus on related issues from a wider perspective and make efforts together so that the Six Party Talks can progress.”

Analysts say Jiang’s comments mean that related countries should not raise the level of their threats any further, and China wants them to restrain themselves from being sensitive to the North Korean Foreign Minister’s Statement.

The North Korean Foreign Minister released a statement on the 29th which claimed that, “The Republic (North Korea) cannot but take inevitable additional defensive measures in order to protect its national interests if the UNSC does not apologize. This includes nuclear tests and ICBM test launches.”
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However, Spokesperson Jiang avoided a direct answer to the question of whether additional nuclear tests would influence China-North Korean relations, “I cannot speak about something that has not happened yet.”

Meanwhile, Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth will hold discussions on North Korean nuclear issues in visits to Six Party Talks participant nations next week.

A source in the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade revealed, “Special Representative Bosworth is visiting related countries but, for now, there is no plan to visit Pyongyang.”

It is expected that Bosworth wishes to evaluate North Korean claims that it would start reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods, to warn against another nuclear test and to discuss ways to resume the Six Party Talks.