Yesterday’s meeting of the leaders of China, Japan and South Korea in Beijing saw the three countries united in urging North Korea to refrain from future nuclear tests, but also revealed ongoing differences of approach to North Korea between Japan and South Korea on the one hand, and China on the other.

"Our three countries agreed that we will not accept further nuclear tests or further provocations from North Korea," President Lee Myung Bak told reporters at the culmination of the summit meeting between himself, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of Japan and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

Although he commended China’s calls for North Korea to focus on improving the people’s lives, President Lee also added that he used the summit meeting to suggest a new approach to deterring future North Korean provocations. He did not elaborate on what that involves.

Prime Minister Noda, taking a similar tone, called on the international community to strengthen cooperation in order to prevent further provocations.

However, Premier Wen spoke in a more measured way, urging the abandonment of “Cold War-style thinking,” and emphasizing that “We must solve problems through negotiations.”

"The various parties need to use their wisdom, keep patient, and display goodwill to the greatest extent so as to ease confrontation and return to the right track of dialogue and negotiations," Wen noted.