The foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea today met in the Chinese city of Ningbo for talks on regional security and cooperation days ahead of a planned North Korean rocket launch. Chinese

According to the official Xinhua news agency, receiving his guests, Yang said China is concerned and worried about the latest development on the Korean peninsula. He said it is in the common interest of all sides to maintain peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and realise long-term peace and stability in northeast Asia.

North Korea announced last month that it would launch a rocket between April 12 and 16, which it says is to put a satellite into orbit for peaceful purposes. Tokyo and Seoul, regard it as a disguised ballistic missile test that would be in breach of UN resolutions and has called for Pyongyang to abandon its planned launch.