North Korea's missile lands in Japan waters; brazen act, says APEC
Bangkok, November 18
Threats to peace and stability burst onto the agenda at a summit of Pacific Rim leaders Friday in Bangkok after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed near Japanese territorial waters.
UN security council must take note: US
- North Korea launched “longer-range missile” that can hit “many countries around the world”
- UN Security Council should meet and discuss North Korea missile launches, says US
The missile test was a stark reminder of persisting risks of conflict in the region and beyond, on top of frictions between the big powers that threaten to unravel the global order.
US Vice President Kamala Harris and the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia and New Zealand convened an emergency meeting during the summit on the missile launch.
“This conduct by North Korea most recently is a brazen violation of multiple UN Security resolutions. It destabilises security in the region, and unnecessarily raises tensions,” Harris said.
“We strongly condemn these actions and we again call for North Korea to stop further unlawful, destabilising acts,” she said.
North Korea is under United Nations sanctions for past weapons displays but has not faced fresh sanctions this year because US attempts were opposed by China and Russia in the Security Council.
A Thai government spokesperson said leaders also expressed concern about the missile in Friday morning’s closed-door meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
The 21-member APEC’s long-term mission is promoting closer economic ties but its summits often are sidetracked by other, more urgent issues.
“Geopolitical tensions are detracting from peace and stability and undermining the rules-based international order, which we all agree are essential,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the opening session of the meeting.
Other APEC members are Brunei, Chile, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. — AP
